And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” —Luke 10:41–42 (nkjv)
I was excited to discover a host of online Bible reading plans, which promised an orderly way to finish the Bible in one year—a goal I value. My perfectionist tendencies can sometimes push me too hard with this, a little voice tells me I can’t skip a day, can’t fall behind in my reading. That voice sucks all the joy out of simply resting my heart in God’s beautiful love letter.
After three weeks of daily readings, I logged into my plan and was surprised to find this message: “No reading is scheduled for today. Use today to take a break or to catch up on readings you missed.”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. My inner Martha jumped to high alert. What do you mean, no reading today? I have to read! There are chapters to finish, verses to master, stories to study!
Suddenly, a sense of peace washed over me. I took a deep breath and smiled. It’s okay, Martha. It’s okay to rest. You don’t have to work so hard, even for God. Take a break. Jesus is still with you.
I set aside my laptop to play with my son. I had a wrestling match in my soul, but in the end, like Mary, I chose the good part.
Lord, slow me down enough to be good company for You.
Written by Bill Giovannetti
Digging Deeper: Mt11:28–30; Lk10:38–42
