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"But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her' " (Luke 10:40-42).
"Hurry is the root problem underneath so many of the symptoms of toxicity in our world." — John Mark Comer
Most of us have at least one area of our life that gives us the greatest (false) sense of control. For some it's a sport, for others a hobby, a vice, a career, or a seemingly noble act of service. Perhaps everything around you feels like disordered chaos, except when you're on the field or in the boardroom. At some point, even that secure space can be taken away. The activity slips into idolatry when it steals time from the things in your life that are priceless.
Fighting to keep a broken world in its proper orbit and navigating our body's inevitable march towards decay can be tiring. In fact, it's exhausting. And it's exactly where the devil wants you to be. Just think of the impact you would make on your family, and then your community, if you weren't always so busy (being under Satan's yoke). You see, Satan doesn't really want to destroy you; he wants to distract you.
So why are we constantly doing so much? Start saying no to the enemy that hijacks our priorities. Consider the time we spend on the idols that give us perceived control of our lives. Reclaim and repurpose that most valuable gift of time to make yourself available for the people and activities that bring you lasting joy (Luke 10:33-35, 39). Obey the call to take a genuine interest in someone you don't know. Get in the Word every day. Slow down and be still (Ps. 46:10; Mark 4:39; Ps. 27:14). Your identity isn't about control and survival when you intensely believe that the same God who spoke the earth into existence and gave you everything — including your life — is in perfect control. He loves you and is for you. Remember that Jesus, the Son of God, made time for everyone (Matthew 9; Luke 19:1-10).
As you capture in your mind this vision for stewardship, and you embark on the journey of redeeming your time, would you pause a moment to recall an instance when you lost your keys? If you are like me, it's not hard for you to imagine losing your keys. Consider the question we always ask ourselves: "Where was the last place I remember having them?" Maybe somewhere along the way of busyness you also lost your joy. It's time to be still and ask those who love you deeply where they remember seeing it.
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