Unplug and Be Still

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 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 10:38-42

This morning, I was praying to God, uncoincidentally, after reading about Mary and Martha, about my lack of being able to be still. I always have to be doing something. Sure, I can read my bible, whole chapters and sections of Scripture at a time, but sometimes I feel it is rushed, and I don’t sit and dwell on it as long as I think I should. When I take time to be in prayer, I have a hard time not doing something while praying, else, it feels like my mind begins to wander. Why can’t I be still?

If I’m honest with the answer, and I must be, it’s because I am always busy at doing something. I fill my life with busy work. Even sitting and being on the phone is busy work! I’ve conditioned myself to believer that something always must be playing in the background, and that to sit still in the quiet, for whatever reason, is detrimental. Loved ones, this is further from the truth! In the case of Mary and Martha, Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus, while Martha was busy with the preparations. Jesus said that Mary had chosen what was best!

And so I ask: what about you? Are you, like me, too busy to sit at the feet of Jesus? Do you struggle with being still? Unplug, unwind, put down all else, and sit at the feet of Jesus. Be still and know He is God. Otherwise, we’re just spinning our wheels, missing out on the Best Thing for us in favor of mediocre, or, at best, good things. Be still and know He is God. And that is enough.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

    God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease

    to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.