Becoming Martha
“I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out.
“But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall!
“Turn back! Recover your dear early love." Revelations 2:2-5 MSG
“But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall!
“Turn back! Recover your dear early love." Revelations 2:2-5 MSG
First Love
In Luke 10, we read about how Jesus was at the house of his friend Lazarus, the one he brought back from the dead, and his sisters Mary and Martha. They all loved Jesus and Jesus loved all of them.
We can read this short narrative here:
At the Home of Martha and Mary
As you can see, while Martha was "busy" with all the preparations, although she wasn't trying to call attention to herself, it is just in her heart that she felt she needed to do all those "other" things. And unknown to her she was totally missing out on the most important thing in her life.
Her intentions were noble, praiseworthy and immeasurable and "right" and important in her eyes, but she was going about it all wrong, obviously she had lost her "first love" -- Jesus. She had lost the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. She was even jealous, if not "furious" with Mary, her sister who was just sitting there all this time, beside Jesus, and in her eyes doing nothing, at least nothing to help her out.
Priorities
But think about it, Jesus came to their house, He was right there, inside their own home, speaking, teaching, pouring his heart out, spending time with them, loving on them, fellowshipping with everyone. And Martha, all she can think about is being busy with is "what's coming up next". She thought it more important to be away from all these things, doing something else. This is a prime example which shows Real Christianity (whatever denomination) is not a religion, it is a relationship.
Relationship
But don't get me wrong, it is so easy to become Martha. Along the way, real believers do lose sight or even lose their first love altogether. Like what happened to the Ephesian church, as the Apostle John was writing about in the passage above in Revelation 2. The church in Ephesus is typical of what happens when your first love dies out. Don't let that happen to you, if it already has, then it's time to wake up and come back to your first love.
This is what happened to Lucifer and the reason for its fall from grace. This is also why the enemy wants everyone else to miss the mark and fall out of grace the very same way.
Envy, jealously, lying, gossip, being a busy body, hardly an appetite for fresh (daily) manna, no hunger for quiet times and for praise and worship, no free time for Jesus? These are all tell tales signs that you need to turn back and come towards the Light of the World.
But think about it, Jesus came to their house, He was right there, inside their own home, speaking, teaching, pouring his heart out, spending time with them, loving on them, fellowshipping with everyone. And Martha, all she can think about is being busy with is "what's coming up next". She thought it more important to be away from all these things, doing something else. This is a prime example which shows Real Christianity (whatever denomination) is not a religion, it is a relationship.
Relationship
But don't get me wrong, it is so easy to become Martha. Along the way, real believers do lose sight or even lose their first love altogether. Like what happened to the Ephesian church, as the Apostle John was writing about in the passage above in Revelation 2. The church in Ephesus is typical of what happens when your first love dies out. Don't let that happen to you, if it already has, then it's time to wake up and come back to your first love.
This is what happened to Lucifer and the reason for its fall from grace. This is also why the enemy wants everyone else to miss the mark and fall out of grace the very same way.
Envy, jealously, lying, gossip, being a busy body, hardly an appetite for fresh (daily) manna, no hunger for quiet times and for praise and worship, no free time for Jesus? These are all tell tales signs that you need to turn back and come towards the Light of the World.
Becoming a Marytha
Here's a quick and easy test, after reading all these, which many would not do anyway, would you still spend at least the next five minutes to watch this video?
Mary or Martha, you decide. But why not both? Be a Marytha. God first, ministry second.
Here's a quick and easy test, after reading all these, which many would not do anyway, would you still spend at least the next five minutes to watch this video?
Mary or Martha, you decide. But why not both? Be a Marytha. God first, ministry second.
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