Daily Devotional for Saturday, February 21

The Complaint by Martha

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me,” Luke 10:40.

When it comes to chores, if my kids focused on their own responsibilities half as much as they do their siblings’ jobs, I have a feeling our household would run much more smoothly. But in fairness to them, I remember doing the same thing as a child. I would be much more concerned about what my brother or sister was having to do (or not do) than I was with my own responsibilities.

Martha apparently had that same sibling jealousy, based on how she complained to the Lord about what Mary was not doing. Sometimes I try to consider myself through the lens of people in the Scriptures. How often am I like Peter? Am I ever as faithful as Daniel? Do I trust the Lord like Abraham did on Mount Moriah? You have possibly done the same thing. I imagine we would all like to consider ourselves as faithful as many of the characters of the Bible, even if we know we are not. We do not like to admit that we are imperfect Christians. 

But honestly, how many of us are like Martha? How many of us are so concerned about what someone else is doing in church, or maybe what someone else should be doing in our opinion, that it affects our service to the Lord? Many people in life are great supervisors but poor workers, and I am afraid that sometimes applies to us in church, as well. When Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17), Peter turned his attention to what John should do. Of course, Jesus had the perfect response. “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me” (John 21:22).

JUST A THOUGHT

We will be more productive for the Lord if we focus on what He has called us to do, and stop concerning ourselves with what others are doing.

Chris Floyd