Mary and Martha

By Pamm Anderson

Monday November 29th, 2021

Peace: Day 1

Read Luke 10:38-42

I keep a picture on my fridge of “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” by Vermeer to remind myself that sometimes the physical duties of my daily life need to be put on hold to make time for the spiritual work. I have always been more like Martha than Mary, willing to sacrifice my personal time with God to complete a chore or project and often expecting others to do the same. Perhaps even working for God…but not with Him.

What tends to distract your relationship with God?

The holiday season magnifies the busyness of our lives by adding additional responsibilities and obligations to an already packed schedule although most of us still look forward to this season of the year.

What is your favorite Christmas “chore” and why?

I love wrapping presents while watching lame Hallmark holiday movies. Perhaps the introvert in me craves the alone time, or my crafty side wants to make something pretty that other people admire, or maybe I just want to punish Matt for all the hours of sports I sit through the rest of the year. So, in order to be more like Mary do I need to give up my specialty gift-wrapping in order to attend a worship service or to do a devotional? Not necessarily, how about I redirect my attitude in the midst of my project in order to worship God. For instance if I took some of my wrapping time and prayed while I worked I would find myself seeking Christ, and not just completing an item on my checklist.

How could you alter your favorite Christmas activities to be more Christ centered?

Light the Candle of Peace and Pray: “God help us reorient ourselves and all of our Christmas activities to make our number one priority the celebration of the arrival of the Prince of Peace.”