Hi how are you today? I am well and have had a good week. I was at our church’s international conference last week and served there. It is such a privilege to serve. It was very tiring though. The theme of the conference was around dreaming again. How was you week?
In this blog I want to explore being not doing. It is great to do as the Bible says faith without works is dead. But too often we put the works before our faith. I want to bring us all, me included back to faith before works.
In order for this to happen, we need to know how to get faith?
In Romans 10:17 in the New King James Bible, it states:
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. This means we must sit still long enough to hear the Word of God preached and to read for ourselves the Word of God. If we don’t do this; we won’t know Who God is and what He is saying to us.
One of the best stories in the Bible regarding being and doing is the story of two sisters: Martha and Mary. Their story is found in Luke 10: 38 to 42 and in the Message Bible, it states:
38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
41-42 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”
Martha welcomed Jesus and then went to do what most of us do when we have visitors- get some drinks and food. This action wasn’t wrong but nowhere did Martha ask Jesus if He needed something; she just assumed.
Mary on the other hand started visiting and talking with Jesus. She just assumed He would ask if He needed anything.
One was doing and one was being. Jesus didn’t rebuke either one until Martha started complaining.
Jesus then taught them and us that being was better than doing. Being doesn’t mean we get lazy in the doing- it means that our being in the presence of Jesus is the main thing and should be first.
I find that when I stop and read my Bible first then my work seems to get done more quickly. It is like there is a supernatural strength that comes from being.
This is not the last time in the Bible we hear of these ladies. A while later, their brother Lazarus dies and Jesus waits until that happens. The story is found in John 11 and in verse 20 in the Message Bible it states:
Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.
Martha was still doing and Mary was being but this time the story is different.
Martha wanted to be where Jesus was so she went. The first thing she said to Him is found in verses 21-22 and it states:
21-22 Martha said, “Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.”
Martha knew Jesus and more importantly knew what He could do.
Jesus gives her revelation that He is the resurrection and the life. This is her response in verse 27.
27 “Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.”
Martha had spent time being. You only can know this by being with Jesus.
We need to be like Martha- spending time being so that when a crisis comes we know Who Jesus is and that He will help us.
We don’t get to know Him by doing; only by being.
So this week, lets spend time being before the doing and see how it changes our life.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended.
Karen
0 Comments