Mary and Martha worked together to provide hospitality to those who visited their home. A visit one evening from Jesus and his friends threw Martha into an anxious state. Would she be able to get it all done? Would the guests be happy? Her worry moved her to complain to Jesus: “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself?”
In response, Jesus shifted the conversation from the sisters’ task load to the sisters’ relationship with him. “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.” Jesus declined to task manage between Mary and Martha. Instead he put the spotlight back on himself. Without minimizing Martha’s generous service, Jesus pointed out that the “one thing” Martha needed most was to be rooted in her relationship with him.
Jesus’ love would be the only way the sisters could complete their work in peacefulness and joy. Because she hadn’t taken time to sit at Jesus’ feet, Martha was an anxious wreck.
Martha’s work was important, just as your work today is important too. But unless you ground yourself in Jesus’ love for you, your important work will breed anxiety. When you feel yourself getting wound up, take a moment with Jesus. Take ten deep breaths, or call a friend to pray with you. Once you focus on the one most important thing (Jesus) your task list will be less stress provoking. You may even be able to discern what’s most essential on your list today, and what can wait for tomorrow.
For many people, performance is a source of identity. When your identity centers around your ability to get things done, you only feel good when you’re busy, and any inevitable delays make you feel terrible. You may stress about what others will think of you if you don’t get it all done perfectly. If this is you, ask Jesus to give you a different identity, based on relationship with him.
Prayer: God, I am anxious and worried about many things, but you are all that I need. Help me focus on you first. Amen.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.11.28-29.KJV
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.8.31-39.KJV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalms 23:1-6 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.23.1-6.KJV
With the virus and kids and staff members returning to work this seemed like a devotional to share for this new school year. Maybe something that helps you along the way as you get used to this new way of doing things this school year.
God’s presence is a comfort in all workplace anxiety
You know what anxiety feels like. Maybe it’s the lump in your stomach on your morning commute. Or it’s a buzzing in your mind that keeps you awake at night when you should be resting up for a long day at work. Those are some signs of workplace anxiety. But what is anxiety, really? Dictionaries define anxiety as worry, fear, or unease coming from uncertainty or lack of control. Anxiety is not new. It’s as old as the Bible – as long lived as uncertainty and humanity itself. Thankfully, the Bible can also help.
One of the Bible’s most famous psalms starts out by describing God at work. In Psalm 23, God is compared to a shepherd—he herds the sheep towards good grazing land, wards off predators, and comforts the sheep with his presence.
Later in the text, the writer of the psalm finds himself in the “darkest valley” (Psalm 23:4). In a work context, your “darkest valley” may be a place of uncertainty or lack of control. This might be a threat to your leadership at work, anxiety about your financial future, or other workplace fears.
While uncertainty at work is a normal part of being human, fear and worry don’t need to be. In difficult situations, Psalm 23 says that God himself is the antidote to anxiety. “I fear no evil for you are with me” (Psalm. 23:4a). If God is with you, you don’t need to fear the future. God’s help in your time of trial is not hypothetical, but tangible and real. Like a shepherd with a rod and staff, God has every instrument he needs to bring you safely through. God is working amidst the worst disasters work can throw at you. God can shepherd you through your deepest workplace anxieties to work out his purposes for you.
Prayer: God, I have uncertainties about my work. Help me trust that you are my shepherd. Calm my anxieties with your presence. Guide me to the right work to do today—to green pastures, fresh water, and rest.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/php.4.7.KJV
The lyrics give such a beautiful paining of the world around us.
Lyrics:
I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom before me and you And I think to myself What a wonderful world
We have all seen trees of green and roses bloom. Every plant around us we have seen flourished in the sunlight and rain. The air has a scent surrounding what blooms at different times of the year based on where you live.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself What a wonderful world
We all seen skies of Blue.Bright blessed day.Dark sacred night.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky Are also on the faces of people going by I see friends shaking hands, saying “How do you do?” They’re really saying, I love you
We all seen have beautiful rainbows are in the sky. A reminder of God’s promise to us.
Have you ever noticed people walking by. I am not just speaking of simply walking. Have you made eye contact or given a smile in acknowledgement to them maybe even open a door for them or simply offered a greeting? Or is your head cluded to your device you don’t notice the world or those around you?
We have friends when we finally get to hang out we greet either by hand shake or a hug. The one thing this virus has done is made one realize we all need contact with others. We especially needed it with like believers in fellowship. Thankfully churches are back in session and some never fully closed to begin with always had some mean of communication with us and now the world. It is a beautiful to watch the connection we are having with others around the world as one body of Christ and in fellowship worshipping together either near or far away. The web keeps us all connected so it doesn’t seem we are so far away.
II hear babies crying, I watch them them grow They’ll learn much more and I’ll never know And I think to myself What a wonderful world Yes, I think to myself What a wonderful world Oh yeah
The saying is true whem speaking if you blink you might miss it. I had the privilege to watch my twin cousins grow up each time they came down to visit. When they first came they were babies and then over the years as time goes you grow up yourself having been kid at the time next thing you know they graduated high school and you are already in the work force for 10 years. I am 10 years their senior. It is amazing how time flies by quickly with babies. I’ve heard them cry as I always loved hanging out with my younger cousins instead of adults around the holidays and worked in daycare for a few years. Even as a kid I would go to the nursery. They are so innocent they do not know anything about what is happening in the world. They don’t know the hatred and violent going on. All that they see is someone cares for them. They are pure innocent love and have to be taught to hate someone. They don’t know if your black white yellow or purple all they see is a friend. They don’t care where you are from all they care about is a playmate. They see the world through love just like Jesus does when He sees His children. In a way I see it as a reflection of God shining through them. They learn to get along fairly quickly with others. When they don’t it isn’t based on anything other then maybe wanting a toy and not sharing it or something very less equivalent. They surely know vast more than us. If they can so easily get along as chidldren why can’t Adults do the same.
Personal thought…What causes one to no longer it along with others? I have no problem getting along with others is it always perfect no but I don’t have hatred inside me fo them or any discord. I let go and let God. Truly easy to surrender it to Him then let it eat at me. I pray to get along to find a common ground and build from there. One would like to think others would seek the same. We all want to live our life and live it with peace and getting along together. So thankful most kids are still inncoent of the world that surrounds them and don’t see all that is wrong with the world currently.
Yet despite it all it is “A Wonderful World”. I don’t have time to be brought down by others or pushed to go a certain way. I am merely passing through and this is not my home. As a Christian I am but here for a time and until my Father calls me home. I am to reach out to others and let them see the the difference in me and maybe want the Love and Peace as only He could give for themselves by seeing it in me. I am to spread the gossip which is the good news. Good news is Jesus came to save that which is lost and He took our sins when He went to the cross to pay a debt He did not owe. So that we can have eternal life. He rose again 3 days later. Not even death could hold the King. He paved a way for us through His blood so that we would not parrish. That alone makes it a wonderful world created by God who then sent His son to be born and then to the cross. What A Wonderful World and Love of God we have and truly blessed by the creations He created around us and by sending His son so that we can spend eternity with Him for those that believe.
Only a loving God could create such a lovly and beautiful painting around us each day. Give thanks to God for all He has done, given to you, and continues to do for you.
I don’t know where you all are from that will read this. I am blessed to live where I do the freedoms I have. I know so many around the world do not have the same freedoms and some live in 3rd world country. We tend to take for granted what we have. This I hope reminds you What A Wonderful World we have and not to take for granted the things that you have. For in a blink of a moment it could be all gone. I encourage you to go out into the world and truly see it as it was meant to be seen. See and feel the love that surrounds you and breath in the air. Smell the the air with the aromas of trees and flowers and lakes and rivers. The crisp mountain air that cools you down and wraps around you like a hug. Whatever surrounds enjoy it as it is a gift from God.
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
Song of Solomon 8:7 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/sng.8.7.KJV
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1jn.4.7-8.KJV
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:34-35 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.13.34-35.KJV
Kirsten's Christian Corner 