If you asked anyone
what would be one quality or attribute of a missionary, chances are you will
get something along the lines of “serving” or “humility”. At least that’s what
I would say. It is a very good thing to serve, to be doing the work of the Lord
and be zealous for His kingdom.
However, I believe that the idea of serving can become
twisted when we forget the people or the person (God) we are doing this for. I
know this because I have seen it in my own life, and it has become more
apparent this summer as I have been engaged in full-time ministry.
I am a task-oriented person as opposed to a
people-oriented person, so I naturally place more importance on tasks rather
than relationships. You could say I am a Martha, easily distracted by the work
that needs to be done. What I have realized lately is that the church contains
a lot of Marthas. There are always people serving, working hard – sometimes so
much so that I feel as though there is no room for extra helping hands. When
there are so many people helping clean up after an event that there is nothing
for me to do, I feel at unease and a little insecure. Why? Because I don’t want
to be a Mary.
A Mary could be classified in one sense as a
people-oriented person, but in a more deeper sense it is someone who realizes
what truly matters and seeks after it. Luke 10:42 describes Mary as having
chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. She went after
the spiritual things which last forever, while Martha was preoccupied with
fading physical cares. The Marys of the church are the ones who engage
newcomers in conversation, who asks how people are doing like they really mean
it, whose minds are set on souls rather than bodies. Marys will invite everyone
they know to the table for the marriage feast of the Lamb, while Marthas will
worry about how everyone will fit.
We need more Marys in the church. We need people to
engage non-Christians and to build relationships and spur one another on in the
faith. We need people who don’t have to rush off right after the service ends
to go do one thing or another. Churches will blossom when Marys are present,
for their minds are ever on heaven and they will cultivate the seeds that are
being sown.
Now back to the idea of serving. I am not at all saying
it is a bad thing to be a servant and to fill a position in a church. That is
necessary for a church to survive as well. But the number of Marthas I have
seen far outweighs the number of Marys in many of the churches I have been in.
Why? We are busy. We try to be the “better Christian” as far as who is most
humble and most willing to serve. We forget the gospel and we still think
we can earn or add to our salvation through our works. If we don’t have some
reason to rush out the door after church, we try to be working behind the
scenes so no one will notice how we’re not doing so hot spiritually. Sometimes
our service can be the mask we hide behind, and the distraction we entertain
for the sake of security.
I would challenge you to examine your heart and see where
you stand. Are you a Martha? Or a Mary? Is your mind set on the things above,
or worldly cares? What is your motivation behind your service? C.S. Lewis said,
“If you read in history you will find that the Christians who did the most for
the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” Mary was
commended by Jesus for choosing the good portion. Which will you choose?
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