Doing vs Dwelling

​Martha welcomed Jesus into her home with great love and devotion. She likely cleaned, prepared food, and even washed His feet, pouring out her time, energy, and effort in service. Her actions were beautiful and worthy of appreciation, flowing from a sincere love for Jesus.

Yet, in the midst of all this, her many tasks began to distract her and stir frustration within her. She finally cried out, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?”

While Martha was overwhelmed with doing, Mary had a different focus. She chose to sit at Jesus’ feet, absorbed in His words, with no intention of leaving His presence, even to help her sister. At first glance, this attitude might seem rude.  

Martha had sincere desires, to prepare her home for Jesus and to serve Him through her actions. But Mary’s one desire was simply to be with Him. Does this mean we should not serve the Lord? Does it mean we should have no other desires except sitting at His feet? Definitely not.

What Jesus teaches us is that listening must come before serving. He does not want our service to take greater priority than hearing His voice. He wants us to value His words, treasure them in our hearts, and live in obedience to them. He does not expect us to serve much while paying little attention to what He says.

As Proverbs 1:33 declares:

“But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Anyone watching Martha might have said, “She is hardworking. She managed everything alone and did it so well. Look at Mary! She isn’t helping at all. She’s lazy, just sitting with Jesus and ignoring the household work.”

But Jesus spoke very differently. He said, “Do not worry about many things. Only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken from her.”

Jesus sees things differently from people. While others appreciated Martha, Jesus praised Mary.

The reason of his success wasn’t prayer. It wasn’t fasting. It was sitting with the Lord and listening to His words. Mary knew this and she practised the same in her life. These days everyone is interested in following the success steps of influencers. Why don’t we imitate Jesus instead ? 

One of the most common questions young people and success seekers ask renowned individuals is, “What’s your secret to success?”

Jesus revealed the true secret of success when He said that only one thing is needed, to sit with the Lord and listen to His words. The foundation of His life was not merely prayer or fasting, but abiding in the Father’s presence and hearing His voice. Mary understood this, and she lived it out.

Today, everyone is eager to follow the success formulas of influencers. Why not choose instead to imitate Jesus, the greatest influencer?

Martha thought Jesus would ask Mary to help her. Instead, Jesus asked Martha to stop serving and start listening. It isn’t about doing many things. It’s about doing one thing: hearing from God.

It’s easy to get caught in the web of busyness. It’s easy to run from one activity to another. But have you taken time to sit still and hear from God?