By: Donna Selma Lind
38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they
came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her
home. 39 Her sister
Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was
distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said,
“Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do
all the work? Tell her to come help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you
are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth
being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away
from her.”
Look at the differences between these two sisters who are both in the presence of the Lord.
One sister saturates and soaks in the presence. The other sister is so busy and distracted that she totally misses the fact that her Lord and Savior is in the room, right in front of her eyes.
BUT MARTHA
She was:
· DISTRACTED- She Lost the Focus.
· BUSY, BUSY, BUSY- She had too many ACTIVITIES going.
· PREPARATIONS- She was the original Martha Stewart perfectionist.
· OVERWHELMED – She was out of God’s will.
· WORRIED, ANGRY, UPSET, CRYING, COMPLAINING - Now she was worn out, on overload and mad at everyone else who was not on her crazy train!
BUT MARY:
She was:
· SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS
· LISTENING TO WHAT HE TAUGHT -
· THE ONE THING OF CONCERN -
· IT WON’T BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER -
MARTHA & MARY BOTH SERVANTS -
On this occasion, SERVING DIFFERENT
MASTERS.
One serving and Pleasing People.
One serving and Pleasing Jesus.
WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
· WITH CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVITIES UPON US HOW CAN WE BE MORE LIKE
MARY INSTEAD OF MARTHA?
KEYS TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE ONE THING DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
* SIMPLIFY! Push the EASY BUTTON. Ask yourself, how can I simplify this? Peace &
Simplicity go hand and hand. Less is More. Aim for Excellence Not Perfection!
· * SAY NO TO CHRISTMAS CHAOS! It’s
okay to Say NO! Have good Boundaries, Stick to a Budget, have Limits on gifts, money,
parties, food. Choose events wisely. Don’t
overbook your calendar. Schedule time for Jesus every day! Please God, Not
People.
· * PEOPLE CAN’T DRIVE YOU CRAZY IF YOU DON’T GIVE THEM THE KEYS!
· We all know that one person that drives us crazy…Don’t give them the
keys! Don’t allow a person or situation to steal your peace and joy! Pray for
Self -Control, think before you speak, count to ten walk away. Don’t let people
hijack your emotions. You can’t control how they
act but you can control how you Re-act.
* TAKE FIVE. Stop, Breathe and Receive
God’s peace.
·
· * ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE – Count your Blessings instead of
your problems. Live each day with a grateful heart. Your attitude of gratitude
is contagious, pass it on. Pay it forward for someone. Serve others, volunteer in a ministry. Start a
new family tradition. Make a Gratitude Board or journal and each day write down
what you’re thankful for!
· * HAVE GRACE & MERCY- EVERYONE IS FIGHTING A BATTLE. Christmas is a
hard time for many. People are dealing with loss, loneliness, sadness, divorce depression,
anxiety and grief. Reach out, call or text, invite them to church, get a cup of
coffee, share an encouraging Bible verse, be a listening ear, give a hug.
ENCOURAGE,
BE COMPASSIONATE. SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS!
TOSS KINDNESS AROUND LIKE CONFETTI!
·
* REMEMBER WHAT’S IMPORTANT.
JESUS IS
RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.
PUT CHRIST BACK IN
CHRISTMAS.
BAKE A CAKE AND SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!
· DON’T GET SO BUSY WITH PREPARATION’S, DISTRACTIONS and CELEBRATIONS THAT
YOU MISS OUT ON THE ONE THING.
· THE ONE THING IS JESUS.
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord and Share the Good News!
Donna Selma Lind
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