Sit & Listen

I have been wanting to blog for about a month now, but have not made the time. God is doing a great work in me (though I'm resistant), and it's quite different than I expected. Despite bringing me to CIU to study and learn academically in preparation for some sort of ministry, He's teaching me that to be with Him is greater than to do things for Him.

The Martha-Mary story was a point of study in my NT class. My professor remarked that Martha should be known more for her profession of faith when she said, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." (John 11:27) However, she is known for being a busy-body worried about serving. And even in John 11, the story above, she is the proactive doer who went out to see Jesus before He came into the village to heal Lazarus. I look at the snip-its of Martha's life in the gospels, and I feel like I'm looking into a mirror. Our personalities are similar.

Who has time to sit and listen? Oh, I'm torn when I write a question like that! I agree with the rhetorical question to some degree thinking, "Today, I need to read X number of pages, write X number of answers, go run this errand on campus, call this business, etc, etc." I often wonder if I have enough time in the week to get it all done. I wrote in response to the Martha-Mary application question that I don't realize what's going on, but I just tend to skim over my time with the Lord when many tasks are at hand. And yet the Lord is teaching me to just be with Him. Even in my times with Him, I need to not be hurried to do, do, do, but sit and listen during that time.

The idea of doing coming out of being is a good summary for this semester. It's not that I shouldn't be doing things, but whatever I do, it should come out of my intimate times with Him. There's no point in serving unless it's for the Lord. And, if I am to make a choice between being with the Lord or serving Him, it's better to choose to sit and be with the Lord. As I write, I'm realizing that as we spend more time with Him, He will probably compel us to go out in His name and do good works.

All in all, in my great weakness I'm learning to sit at His feet. It's sad how hard it is for me to calm down and just sit and listen. My body is quite weak to do this. I get distracted, fidgety, and anxious. Oh, please pray for me that I can learn even if the process is slow. Please also pray that I will grow in prayer. I need it!


Coincidentally, there are these two related articles that came out this week:
http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/a-martha-moment
http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/another-martha-moment