When we’re all a little Martha

Some days, I wake up with the best intentions. I plan to go for a run, grab my shorts from the dryer… and suddenly I’m folding all the laundry, wiping down the counters, cleaning the bathroom, and realizing its somehow lunchtime. Anyone else live this life? I am more Martha than Mary on most days.

There is so much to do, and my mental queue feels overloaded before I even begin. That’s why the story of Mary and Martha in Luke has always hit close to home. Martha gets a bad rap, but honestly, I get her. Scripture says, “Martha was distracted with many things.” I feel that down in my bones.

As I read the passage again this week, I caught myself thinking, “Lord, what if Mary helped from the beginning? Back then, women cooked, cleaned, hosted, and kept the home running.” It’s easy to imagine Martha doing what any of us would do if Jesus and twelve disciples showed up at our door, scramble, prepare, serve, make everything just right.

But then it hit me.

Jesus didn’t come to be served. He came to serve. He didn’t come to get. He came to give.

Martha wasn’t wrong for wanting to care for Him. She was simply distracted, pulled away from the very presence that was meant to nourish her. She missed the moment of communing with her Savior because she was trying to perform for Him.

And yet… Jesus doesn’t shame her. He doesn’t scold her. He doesn’t dismiss her.

He hears her complaint. He sees her heart. And He gently invites her in.

He reminds her that Mary chose wisely — not because Mary was better, but because Mary recognized what her soul needed most in that moment. Jesus was offering Himself, and Mary received Him.

This week, I’ve been thinking about all I’ve had to do — and even the things I’ve already jumped ahead to next month. My mind runs, my hands stay busy, and I can slip into Martha‑mode without even noticing.

But when I sit at the feet of Jesus, I’m reminded: He is the bread of presence. He is the nourishment I actually need. He is the One who fills what my striving never can.

I still serve. I still work hard. I still run myself into the ground some days. But one small step I’m taking is this: inviting Jesus into whatever I’m doing. When I do, the work becomes worship. The task becomes communion. The moment becomes holy.

What about you? Do you see yourself in Mary or Martha? And what is one small step you want to take to follow Jesus more closely today? #wereallalittlemartha