Marys Vs Marthas: Finding A Good Balance Between Worship And Service

                     

You will find two kinds of people in the church: those who are inclined towards service and the ones who prefer to sit at Jesus’ feet and worship.

Is one superior to the other?

Dr. Luke helps us to answer that.

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus and his disciples are going about their business. When they come to Bethany, Martha invites them in. The text does not tell us if their brother Lazarus was present but her sister Mary was.

The sisters react differently to Jesus’ presence.

Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to him. Martha, on the other hand, goes to work. Most likely she is in the kitchen fixing Jesus (and his disciples) a meal.

With time, Martha grew frustrated.

Why would her sister sit pretty with Jesus while she labored alone?

Martha goes to Jesus and raises her concern. Jesus’ response is very instructive on this whole issue of striking a balance between worship and service.

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.” (vs 41-42).

Jesus’ response elicits different reactions.

While Marthas (i.e. people big on service) tend to leave deflated feeling as though the call is to abandon service altogether and go to worship, Marys (i.e. people who would rather just worship) feel affirmed and don’t see the need to sign up for service. 

However, if you settle for either extreme, you miss the point.

See, Jesus does not condemn Mary or demand she goes to help her sister. Neither does he condemn Martha or ask her to quit work altogether and join them.

Jesus’ concern appears to be the danger of being overly concerned about service. That is, being engrossed in service that it becomes a distraction to worship.

The text hints at the need to find a balance between worship and service. It is not a matter of either or but this and that.

No church can function without both worship and service.

If all you do is worship, who will serve? The cooperate body of Christ will not function. And your gifts will go untapped. Likewise, if all you do is serve, sooner than later you will hit a snag. Every believer needs quality time with God to recharge.

Therefore, every believer needs to find a balance between worship and service. This calls for honest introspection.

Where do you stand?

Saint, where do you lie?

Are you a Martha? Rather, are you more inclined towards service?

Well, nothing wrong with that. What you need to avoid is losing yourself in service that you forget to make time to seat at Jesus’ feet and commune with Him.

It sounds paradoxical but it is true. It is possible to be very busy serving God that you have no time for Him.

Now that’s dangerous. And counterproductive.

As you sign up for ministry or service in church or without, ensure you factor in time for worship.

Don’t overwhelm yourself.

Select one or two ministries and dive in full throttle. Serving in a manageable number of ministries will allow you to get involved fully in the life of the church and still leave you with ample time to worship. As you commune with God, you will be refreshed and your spiritual life revitalized. 

Moreover, you will have good time to rest. Burnout is real in Christian ministry. Saint, mind your health.

This also applies to those in leadership. Delegate as much as you can.

You cannot do everything in the church. That’s why God did not give you every gift there is. Do your part in exercising the few gifts God Has given you and let others do the rest.

Overdoing ministry will rob you of the joy of salvation and suck the life out of you leaving you frustrated like Martha.

Watch out.

On the flip side, are you a Mary? Is worship all you want to do? Do it. By all means, worship. After all, that’s what God created man to do.

However, make some time to serve. Don’t rob the body of Christ by consuming acts of service and not reciprocating.

Exercise your gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11/ Ephesians 4:11-13). Someone else might do it but not like you would. Let the church benefit from the unique touch you give the gifts God Has bequeathed you.

The good thing for worshippers is that you cannot worship too much. There’s nothing like over-worshipping. So, worship fully, and as you do so, be sure to fan your gift to flame (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Final thoughts.

In conclusion, take note of this saint. Firstly, no matter how diligent you are, service cannot earn you the right standing with God. You must make time to commune with God and work on your salvation (Philippians 2:12-13).

Service cannot replace worship. God created man to worship, not to serve. Prioritize worship.

Secondly, an effective servant must be a worshipper. Just as works ought to be an overflow of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10), service that honors God is an overflow of worship. Right service is borne out of the place of worship.

Sit at Jesus’ feet often and let him serve you.

Lastly, be sure to invest in the eternal. Jesus commended Mary for choosing the better thing which cannot be taken away from her. As noble as service is, it is short-lived. It’s just an earth thing. Worship is eternal. When we transition into eternity future, we will join heavenly beings in worshipping God forever.

Why not start now?   

If well done, service is an act of worship. So, Worship. Worship in words, worship in service.