Journey From Anxiety to PeaceSample

Day 2: Listen To The One Who Loves You

Have you ever invited friends or colleagues to your home who you wanted to impress? Your expectations felt so high that they became impossible to meet.

You know that someone needs to clean the house, make dinner, and do the dishes. And it's usually you! It’s easy to get caught up in all of this work. Because of the details, you lose sight of the purpose of inviting your guests over in the first place.

Though your invitation to your guests began with a real desire to build a friendship, it ended with your guests watching you run back and forth from the kitchen to serve an elaborate meal.

Martha understands us. She lived by an unspoken rule that she and her sister’s responsibilities included meal preparation. Martha’s frustration grew to the point that she even interrupted Jesus, who was teaching. As we learned yesterday, she complained that Jesus didn’t care about her efforts, and she asked Him to confront Mary’s absence in helping her.

Can you relate to Martha’s frustration, getting so upset that you miss what your guest is saying? Do you complain on the inside, too?

Jesus paused, listened to her, and then lovingly responded. He saw Martha’s hard work and her distress. And, then, He pointed her to the most important thing she needed—listening at His feet to His words of life.

“After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4

Listen to the words of Jesus:

Reflections:

• If you were Martha, how would you feel about Jesus' response? What would you do?
• How could you resist the temptation to focus on your own agenda?
• In what ways might you listen to Jesus’ voice today?

You may think that your plan is great, but as you surrender expectations for yourself and for others to Jesus, you can grow in authenticity. Tomorrow, we will examine how our worries affect our relationships.