The Thanksgiving tornado has whirled out of my front door and I feel like Christmas waltzed right in and slammed the door. behind her Time is whizzing right before my eyes as I struggle to put the dishes away, wrap up the laundry, pick up the toys and squeeze in a Q.T. (aka, quiet time with God). I scramble to accomplish my daily responsibilities and therefore, the thought of the holiday hustle and bustle makes me feel a bit tense. How is a girl supposed to do it all?
I can’t help but think of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Mary seemed to figure out what was most important and take the time to sit at Jesus’ feet. However, try as I might, I frequently wind up in Martha’s camp. I find myself scurrying to get everything done while the clock is still ticking. Here are a few reasons why…Mary forgot the “pre” in preparation. She didn’t have time to enjoy her company because she didn’t plan ahead. Last minute runs to the grocery store, goggling for recipes on the internet, and rambling through the pantry to find the last dash of cinnamon threw her in a tizzy. Make no mistake–it was important to host a meal for Jesus and company. Jesus’ time here on earth was coming to an end. Martha was doing something which was valuable and important. But how she went about doing it…that’s where things went terribly awry.
And because she was in over her head, she felt as if she were drowning, and “she became worried and upset about many things.” (Luke 10:41). Anxiety is a way of life for so many of us that it is robbing us of the joy that God intends us to have. But perhaps, a lot of what we are going through makes us anxious, even in our day to day, because of a lack of spiritual focus. We are unprepared. We are not ready.
Beth Moore says this, “The essence of worship is the focus. And whatever has our focus is our object of worship, and if that’s not God, it’s idolatry.” (Beth Moore, Jesus the One and Only, p. 144)
The way to overcome anxiety is to spend our time in the Word and through prayer. Quit cutting corners. Stop taking short cuts. If you want to be ready when the rubber hits the road, then spend your time with Him. Nobody else can do it for you. Once a week church attendance isn’t gonna cut it. A Bible study once in a blue moon isn’t enough. We’ve gotta dive into the Word of God, pour it into our souls and allow it to simmer. Yes, it takes time! Yes, it takes preparation. If Martha had used her crock pot for heaven’s sake, she might not have been remembered in such a way for her hospitality fiasco. Absorb God’s Word and let it simmer for awhile.