Day 4: Balance

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.

Luke 10: 38-42

How many of us, so often, have felt like Martha? Busy working, serving others, anxious to get things just right: school work, the office, relationships, home-life.
With our lives so full of activity, we probably don’t feel as though we could be like Mary, resting at the feet of Jesus, even if we tried.

In this story, Jesus Christ does not so much critique Martha’s activity as he reminds her of something she seems to have forgotten: that activity also has a companion in contemplation, work will always need to be balanced by rest, and, anxiety must ultimately give way to faith.

As the saying goes: we’re human BEINGS not human DOINGS. Jesus seems to be telling us that if we don’t take the opportunity to BE than what we DO won’t mean very much. Yes, there are times when what we do matters a great deal and must be prioritized. We have jobs to perform, families to support and care for, responsibilities to meet. But, we would probably all agree we certainly don’t need to be working ALL of the time. With this in mind, are we taking the time to be like Mary as well as like Martha?

Activity and reflection:

Take a moment to close your eyes and relax. Take deep, cleansing breaths exhaling fully each time. Now, imagine yourself as Mary - sitting with Jesus. Despite the activity that surrounds you, you are at peace. Your mind is quiet, the tension flows out of your body and you are surrounded by warmth and comfort. Deeply, in your heart, you know that all will be well…what needs to get done will get done…and, that Christ will be with you through it all. Sit with this feeling of serenity and faith for several moments.

Now, ask yourself:

How balanced is my life? Do I take time for reflection, prayer and relaxation each day? If your answer to these questions is something like “not very” and “no” then perhaps you need to consider finding ways to integrate these into your day.

What makes you feel relaxed? Alternatively, what gives you energy? Make a short list of these things (in your head or written down) and then think of one way you can add them into your life.