After a super crazy and stressful week, midterm projects, tests, and papers are over and spring break is here! I finally have a chance to put my work aside, sit down, and relax for a week at home. But whenever I try, I can never make myself do this.

It’s probably just my personality, but it is impossible for me to do nothing. I feel that there is always something that needs to get done, somewhere I can help, or something that I can get ahead in. I feel guilty for taking time to do nothing when I know I could be using my time to complete one of my many tasks.

I am a Martha.

Martha, and her sister Mary, were very good friends of Jesus many, many years ago. They also had a brother named Lazarus, and Jesus raised him from the dead. But that’s a story for another day. The story that I’ll be focusing on today is when Jesus came over to their house. Martha is an ancient-day Southern Belle. She knows exactly how important it is to be a good hostess, especially to a man as popular as Jesus Christ. She focuses her energies on preparing everything she thinks Jesus might need. Quickly, she realizes that all of these preparations are too much for one person to handle and she really wants her sister Mary to help her out. But Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus just listening to Him talk.

I, excuse me I meant to say Martha, became very frustrated at the laziness of Mary. Martha approaches Jesus and says, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40). Martha probably thought to herself, “This ought to teach that lazy Martha to help her sister out more often. Jesus is going to put her right in her place.” But instead Jesus says, “Martha… 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 10:41-42)

Mary has chosen what is better.

It is better to neglect work if it means you are sitting at the feet of Jesus Christ. It is better to rest in the Lord than to get ahead in your work. It is better to do nothing than to intentionally overwhelm yourself. This does not go to say that work is wrong or sinful. It just means that there must be a balance between your time working and your time resting. They are of equal importance and value.

Hear these words for yourself. Jesus says to you, “You are worried about many things. You are growing tired and overwhelmed. While these things are good and bring Me glory, putting too much value in them is exhausting. Few things are needed. In fact, there is only one thing needed. Rest in me. Choose what is better. It will not be taken from you.”