Have you ever stumbled into a time of finding yourself struggling with feelings of inadequacy, being valued less or even feelings of condemnation for not doing as much as another sister or brother in the Lord? The sense of envy – whether blatant or obscured – of another’s “peak season” during what seems to be an “off-peak” season for you is a real thing! We long to be actively “doing things” for the Lord in among the throng of those who seem busy about the Father’s business all around you. And yet, present circumstances and situations would seem to dictate that ‘that is not your portion’. At least not yet. Perhaps you have somehow fallen into the snare just now, even as you read this. May the Lord be pleased to use this in bringing you His comforts, peace and grace to help you.
There are times when I look upon the ‘Marthas’ among my sisters in the faith, with heart pangs of longing to be as physically active for the Lord as they. To see their accomplishments and hear the rightly deserved commendations for the faithful labour in the grace of the Lord for His name has not always been easy. At times it still isn’t!
The battle with all those thoughts and feelings mentioned at the beginning of this is post is a real thing. But God! Oh, how sweet the gleanings of the Lord’s word, the gathering in of all the Lord gives within in seasons of aloneness and “enforced rest” – during the seeming and relative times of inactivity. What deep comfort our Holy Comforter, the Holy Spirit brings in His gentle assurance that ‘though you lie down among the sheepfolds’ (Psalm 68:13) as it were, He is still act work through you and you are of equal value and equally loved as those seen physically labouring for His name. The reading and feeding in His word, the unseen prayers and petition and quiet sharing of His word as the opportunity comes is His work continuing in you, working in you until your time comes for a more tangible outworking of these. It may be “only” in small discreet ways, yet has value in the eyes of the Lord. This is not mere “tea and sympathy” psychobabble, which helps no one. It is what the Lord teaches us, including through His word of truth.
Recently the above was highlighted, underscored, for me through the account of Lord Yeshua’s visit to the home of Martha recorded for us at Luke 10:38-42, as I pondered on the ways of the Lord one morning. It says this:
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
As I thought on these two sisters, the word of the Lord at John 11:5 came into my thoughts:
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
(underlined for emphasis)
And then I understood in a deeper way. It wasn’t either/or – both these women were equally loved and equally valued by Lord Yeshua. Both served the Lord. Mary, who had seemed so inactive to Martha in her “peak season” was giving the extraordinary honour of serving the Lord in a unique way. Mark 14:1-9 records this:
After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
John confirms that this was Mary, Martha’s sister (see John 11:1-2). Could it be that something was imparted into her as she sat at the feet of Yeshua and heard His word? The Lord knows.
Whether “in season” or “out of season”, physically actively in many labours or in the more hidden work in Lord Yeshua particularly during “enforced rest”, may we be made conscious of the same grace of God at work in us; may we all be enabled to continually be ‘looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith’ and thus be enabled, by the working power of His Spirit, to ‘run with endurance the race that is set before us’ (see Hebrews 12:1-2). As we do, we will see that we cannot look at others and be looking at our Lord and Saviour Yeshua the Messiah at the same time – at least, not while running our race well!
Until He calls or comes, God bless you and Shalom.
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