Serving or Sitting?
Are you always on the go, checking off your to-do list, trying to keep everything running smoothly? Or do you long to slow down, sit still, and simply listen? We live in a world that praises productivity, yet our souls crave presence. In a small home in Bethany two sisters once faced the same tension—one rushed to serve, the other paused to sit. The story of Martha and Mary isn’t just a moment in biblical history—it’s a mirror for our hearts. Are you more like Martha or Mary? Are we too busy for Jesus, even when we’re doing things for Him? This isn’t just their story. It’s ours.
As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)
I see three big lessons in this story: You never end up close to God accidentally. If it’s not important, you’ll find an excuse, but if it’s important, you’ll find a way. So often the most difficult choices aren’t between good and bad, but good and best.
Our passage takes place in Bethany, a village in Judaea, located on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem. The sisters, Martha and Mary, had a pretty biblically famous brother—Lazarus (yep, the same Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead). One day, Jesus and all of His disciples popped in for a little get-together. We see Martha welcoming them into her home, being practical, hospitable, and task-driven. She’s preparing food for the travelers, making sure everyone has plenty to drink, fluffing up pillows, straightening up her belongings, throwing stray shoes into the hall closet, stuffing random items into a junk drawer, trying to keep the dog from jumping on the guests, and loading dishes in the dishwasher (okay, maybe not those last couple things EXACTLY, but whatever the first-century AD equivalent is). If Jesus showed up on your doorstep, wouldn’t you do the same? Like, HELLO, THE LITERAL KING OF THE UNIVERSE IS SITTING IN MY LIVING ROOM AND I HAVEN’T VACUUMED MY CARPETS IN A WEEK. While Martha is running around playing hostess, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, contemplative, attentive, and relational. She is so focused on her Lord that she doesn’t even notice her sister bobbing in and out of the room or the fact that not a single disciple apparently knows how to use a coaster. Martha finally snaps, sharing her frustration with Jesus. Yeah, she’d love to just sit and listen to the Teacher, but what about all the serving duties? Jesus gently responds, “Martha, Martha. . . Mary has chosen what is better.” Martha wasn’t wrong—but Mary was right.
Proverbs 4:25-27—Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or to the left.
From Martha, we learn the value and limits of service. Hospitality and service is important—after all, Jesus tells us that we must have servant hearts. Paul writes in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” There are countless other references in scripture of how important humility, servant hood, and generosity are. So if she was doing a good thing, why did Jesus say Mary had chosen the “better thing”? Martha reminds me of the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:5-15). Jesus explains how seed, symbolically representing the Word of God, can be planted on different types of ground. Some “seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. . . The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature” (v. 14). Martha was distracted by her act of service. Doing became more important that being. Jesus invites us to rest (Matthew 11:28-30), to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
Mary shows us the importance of presence and spiritual attentiveness. Martha chose something good, but Mary chose something of eternal value—sitting in the presence of her King and Savior. Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (24:35). If you were to sit down with Him, wouldn’t you just want to sit silently, absorbing every word that comes out of His mouth? Mary’s choice brings to mind this passage from Psalm 27: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” Shouldn’t that be our first priority, too? Nothing means anything if we don’t have Jesus. Mary showed her continued devotion and spiritual insight later when she extravagantly worshipped and anointed His feet with perfume (John 12:3). Some were shocked at how far she went to praise Jesus, but she knew what mattered most. Just like our story in Luke, Jesus honored her act of devotion as something to be remembered (Matthew 26:13).
As followers of Jesus, we are called to both action and adoration. Our challenge is to discern when to serve and when to sit. Here are some practical ideas to create space for both:
Begin the day with sitting, not serving.
Tip: Don’t touch your phone or to-do list before you’ve opened the Word (exception for the Youversion Bible app) or prayed.
Psalm 5:3—In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.
Create sacred space for silence.
Tip: Designate 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted quiet to sit with Jesus. Pick a comfy chair, light a candle, use a journal, read a devotional, or listen to the Pause app.
Psalm 46:10—“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Make service an overflow, not a substitute.
Tip: Serve others only after spending time being filled spiritually. A dry well can’t pour water. Even Jesus withdrew to pray before going to serve (Mark 1:35)!
John 15:4-5—“Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Matthew 6:33—“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.”
Examine your motives in serving.
Tip: Ask, “Am I doing this to please God or to prove something?”
Galatians 1:10—Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?
Schedule both like appointments.
Tip: Add devotion and ministry/service time to your calendar. What gets scheduled, gets done!
Proverbs 16:3—Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.
Ecclesiastes 3:1—There is a time for everything.
Sabbath regularly.
Tip: Take one day per week to rest from doing. Reflect, worship, walk, nap, and realign your heart with God’s.
Exodus 20:8—“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
Now I’ll ask you again: Are you more like Martha or Mary? Are you too busy for Jesus, even when you’re doing things for Him? What’s your current posture? We are called to act and serve others with the hands of Martha and sit in adoration with the heart of Mary. As Hebrews says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2).
Lord, teach me when to serve like Martha, and when to sit like Mary. Help me not to confuse “busy” with “faithful.” I want to pursue what is better—my closeness with You. Thank You that You always provide a space for us to be together. Help me to be consistent in spending time in Your presence, listening to what You have to say to me. Never let me get so distracted in doing what I think is good that I completely miss out on doing what’s best. Amen!