In the book of Luke, we find a familiar story of two sisters, Mary and Martha, who were dear friends of Jesus. You probably know their story, but just in case it has been a while since you read about them in Luke 10, I’ll summarize.
Jesus came to His friend Martha’s home and began to teach those who gathered there. He had brought a crowd with Him, and Martha took care of her guests while Mary, Martha’s sister, sat at Jesus’s feet and listened.
Carrying the Mental Load
I don’t know about you, but there have been plenty of times in my life when I have looked up from what felt like a task that should have been a family project and, rather than notice all the ways others were helping, I noticed all the ways they could be helping.
I’ve noticed the overflowing trash cans in the kitchen and the pile of shoes by the front door and wondered why everyone who lives in my house isn’t as bothered by the work I see needs to be done. Don’t get me wrong or reach out to say that my kids should help with chores; they do. My husband and I are partners in our home and share the workload. Our kids contribute to taking care of what needs to be done around the house. They have responsibilities both for their own spaces and belongings and for the shared spaces and chores.
Still, some days I feel like the one who directs all the doing. And it makes me feel jealous, frustrated, and all sorts of other emotions that aren’t fruits produced by the Spirit of God when my family isn’t as flustered as I am by the unfinished work. I feel somewhat abandoned to carry the mental load of all that needs to be done on my own.
So I understand Martha’s frustration when she came to Jesus with her heart. I can hear that pain of being left to carry the burden alone when she said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?” (Luke 10:40, NIV). I wonder if she thought, Mary clearly doesn’t care enough to help, but You see me, Jesus. You see she’s abandoned me to do this by myself. You care. Don’t You?
And in complete kindness, when Jesus heard Martha’s words, He didn’t reply with the answer she wanted but the one she needed: “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (vv. 41–42, NLT).
Jesus Reveals a Better Way
I love how Jesus didn’t exactly say, “Mary is right, Martha. Stop being fussy.” He didn’t take Mary’s side. He didn’t rebuke Martha. He lovingly acknowledged how Martha felt. He told her that He knew she was worried and upset, and then He gently revealed the better way.
Jesus acknowledged there’s something worth being concerned about, but it’s not the work that needs to get done or the people we expect to jump up and join us. It’s staying connected to the One who has come close.
I used to think we should aim to be like Mary, only ever sitting at Jesus’s feet and learning. Here’s the problem with that idea. The work does still need to be done. I don’t believe Jesus was telling Martha to ignore her guests. Jesus was not saying that what we do for others is unimportant. He was also not saying we shouldn’t ask for help when we need it. I believe that Jesus was saying the most important thing should not be sacrificed even for other important things. Once the most important thing — being with the Lord and spending time in His presence — is discovered, He won’t be the One to take it away from us.
I wonder: Are we more desperate to finish our work, or are we more desperate to find our way back to His feet? Really stop to consider it. Because only one brings the deep rest our hearts crave.
Chasing Peace, or Chasing ‘Finished’?
Do you chase finished? Do you just want everything to be done so you can finally relax? I often pray, “Lord, help me figure this out, get this done, carry this load. Please help me find the answers I need and the peace I need. Help me with this problem or that problem.” I ask Jesus to help me with whatever it is that I need help doing at that time.
This is a good prayer. It’s good to believe He wants to help us accomplish whatever needs to be done. But I don’t always pray with the same level of desperation in the middle of my day, “Lord, help me remain connected to Your presence even as the work is done. Help me to rest in You even before I have the chance to pause. Help me live with rest in my heart.”
My friend, I don’t live at your house. I don’t know the details of your circumstances. I can’t tell you how to organize your schedule or what keeps you rushing from one situation to the next. I do have a feeling that it’s a lot. You know you need to spend time with Jesus, but you also know you need to spend time doing everything else as well. You have to take care of your family and your finances and your home, and maybe if there is any leftover time, pay attention to your friendships. There’s only so much of you! There’s only so much time! You are the definition of spread too thin.
And when you finally find a small pocket of time, spending it with Jesus is likely not the first idea that comes to your mind. Can I be that honest for a minute? If you’re like me, when you feel stressed or pushed or like you never have the opportunity to rest your constantly busy mind and body, you don’t think, If only I could get alone with my Bible and read and pray…
Instead, perhaps you pick up your phone or turn on the TV or even do healthy things like walk or garden or play pickleball. All the while, you still desperately need the peace and rest that can only be found as you stay connected to the Lord.
Let God Meet You Where You Are
So let me remind us both of this very important truth: God meets us wherever we are. He is always available. You don’t have to be in a quiet closet or in a special spot to lean into His presence and connect with His Spirit. Altars don’t always look like wooden railings at the front of churches. They aren’t always found in a sanctuary (even though they often are).
Altars can look like a sink full of dirty dishes, a quiet bedroom, a messy desk, or a moving car. We carry our altars wherever we go … continually sacrificing our own wills and time and expectations for the good, good plans of our Father.
We bend our hearts even while we busy our hands and remind ourselves that Jesus’s sacrifice wasn’t just for eternity. It was so we could rest in the assurance of His presence each moment leading up to it.
How do we cling daily to the promise of God with us? How do we live connected to the heart of God all day long? I suppose we have to first remember that He’s not passing us by but has come to remain with us.
Adapted from Healing Rest: An invitation for Mommas Who Carry So Much to Lean into the Arms of the One Who Holds It All by Becky Thompson.
The last few years have been a lot, haven’t they? In your home, in your community, in the world. There’s no reason to wonder why you need rest. Of course you need peace. No matter the stage of your motherhood, even when your children have children of their own, a momma’s heart carries so much in every season.
Healing Rest shares stories from the Bible, scientific insights, and practical ways to confront overthinking with God’s Word. This book dives deep into the promise of peace, not just for those facing anxiety, but for every momma who needs it. Thompson reminds readers that they do not have to carry the weight of their burdens alone, and that God is always with them. Momma, you deserve peace. Come experience rest in the arms of the only One who can hold it all.
Becky Thompson is the founder of the Midnight Mom Devotional community on Facebook where over one million moms gather nightly for prayer. She is the author of eight books, Hope Unfolding, Love Unending, Truth Unchanging, My Real Story, Midnight Mom Devotional, Peace, Midnight Dad Devotional, and God So Close. Becky lives in NW Oklahoma with her husband, Jared, and their three children.
