Let’s take a journey together. I have been going through a lot of upheaval in my life as of late. I want to share with you my worries, concerns, and hardship. I am looking for a job which has been a very tedious process, I am still recovering from my most recent surgeries, and I am a single guy in a super sex saturated world. In light of all of these things in my daily life I find it all too easy to fall in to the snare of depression, sadness, and anxiety. Let’s look at my situation in light of what God says in the Bible and add some perspective to these events and feelings.
Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister had left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” but the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
My viewing life in all of it’s stress and worry is my Martha. I am consumed with not having a job and what will happen if I do not have a job. How long can I support myself? Will I find a job in this economy? I live in fear of what may happen to my health. Will I stay healthy? Will my body recover from all the trauma? Will I get sick again? I am a single guy living in a world that depicts sexual needs as the greatest and utmost thing you can obtain. Will I ever get married? Why do girls have to dress so seductively? How does one overcome the sexual temptations that encompass society? Why Lord? Why, why, why? This is my Martha, I am so consumed by the circumstances of life I have lost focus of what truly matters. Is my worth and value found in my money, health, job, friendship, or love?
Now enters the moment where God shows me a different way to live. For Martha this is where she questions the perceived laziness of her sister Mary. Jesus says to her that she is too worried and bothered about non-important things and she is not focusing on what is necessary. This transformation in my life was brought about in the midst of the worries I held so important. As I healed from all of my illness I was forced to slow down my life and in that slowness I was able to hear God. In those quiet moments I was able to as my why questions in life and God answered me. I had a lot of time to look upon my life think about all of choices whether good and bad that I have made through out my life. In light of God’s truth contained in the Bible I was able to look back at my life and by the Grace of God a mighty transformation occured. Not having a job became a blessing that I had not anticipated because I was drawn to study the Bible with a voracity I have never seen before in my life. This abundance of time time feasting in the Bible and getting to know Jesus Christ has filled me to over flowing spiritually. The biblical truth that I have seen in scripture time and time again but never applied to my life are now impacting me in a renewed way.
Freedom from the bondage to depression, sadness, and anxiety and my transformation to my Mary came hand in hand. If I would have kept my life view like Martha where I was too concerned about everything going on in life whether good or bad there would be no freedom or renewal. My Mary was formed in the development of a daily time of study in the Bible where I sought God daily and I desired to learn about Truth more than anything. I have been living in this state of Mary where I am now so consumed with Jesus that nothing else matters. I have been transformed into a man who now seeks God above all things. I desire to know Him and the power of His resurrection. I find that my life is being renewed physically, spiritually, and emotionally from this life changing encounter with God allowing me to go through life with renewed passion as I seek out what God has for me.
What does this story about my life change from a person who worries about all things around me, my Martha, to one who is fixated on Jesus, my Mary, have to do with you? I am convinced that the only true way that we can find freedom in life is to know Jesus Christ. This post is for the people who are in bondage. I do not care what type of bondage that you find yourself in whether it is to depression, stress, sickness, pornography, drugs, alcohol, or sex. I stand here today and I want to point you to Jesus Christ as your only way out of the chains that hold you. I can tell you that the process to freedom is not an easy road but if you genuinely seek God you can find freedom.
I exhort you to seek God!
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude 24-25
Amen. Mary is the hope filled, waiting. She see's the possibilities of God whereas Martha sees the possibilities of her own efforts. thanks for you writing, stay the course, keep the faith. your authenticity is valuable.
That is a great way to put it. Mary is filled with hope and waiting before Christ while Martha has such a narrow view that she will only see her own work and efforts.