As a passionate person I find seasons in my life that I completely "spend" myself for what I am passionate about. If you know me then you know from February to August I watch countless baseball practices and sit through over a 120 games. Is baseball my passion? No~ The two boys who play are my passion. When you are passionate for something you are willing to sacrifice what ever it takes to make your passions happen. Is spending six months of my year running around two kids a sacrifice? You bet! However, if my boys decide at any point to give up baseball and pursue otherthings is that okay? Sure, I will become passionate about what they are passionate about. Passion encourages passion.
Passion, do you have it? Do you know what it is? It will drive you to sacrifice, give, and go above and beyond what you thought was possible. I tend to be passionate about what I love. Are you like that? Maybe you love a certain coffee, then you probably tell everyone you know about it, right? Maybe you love a band that is off the hook and it is all you talk about. The thing I love the most is Jesus, and He is whom I am most passionate about. When your passionate for someone you love what they love. If you have Bieber-Fever then you love all things Justin. Well I have Jesus-Fever and I love all things Jesus. One thing Jesus loves is his church. In scripture Jesus refers to the church as his Bride, so if I love what he loves then I love the church!
I see a trend in the American church to "slow down", "don't kill yourself", "don't be a Martha", "Even God rested"... If your a passionate person you have heard these as well. Let's look real quick at the story of Martha and see what is really going on.
"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”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 10:38-42 NKJV
Martha invites Jesus and probably at least a few disciples into her home and is running around trying to get everything ready. Where Martha goes wrong is not in her serving, it is in her getting her eyes off of Jesus in her serving. You see that she gets distracted with the work and then goes to Jesus to complain about her sister who does have her eyes on Jesus.
Let me tell you what I find interesting, first Jesus tells Martha that she is worried and troubled. Jesus himself tells us not to worry about anything but in all things with thanksgiving offer up everything in prayer. When you pursue your passions make sure that you keep your eyes on Jesus. In fact bring him right into the middle of your passion! Second, work isn't wrong! Jesus worked while he was on Earth, he served while he was on Earth but his example was to pull back from time to time and spend time with his Father. He didn't take a Sunday off, he didn't go the movies, he didn't take a vacation and all the things well meaning people tell you to do; He spent time alone with his Dad.
Mary wasn't commended for what she was doing but how she was doing it. Martha wasn't reproved for what she was doing; it was her attitude and HOW she was doing her work. This example in scripture cannot be taken out of context with the rest of the Word. Jesus himself said he came to serve not to be served. Humility is the key!
Humilty is a lost art in the church. Humilty isn't thinking of yourself as garbage. Scripture says that Jesus was humble, does that mean he thought of himself as junk and not worthy of love? Author Andrew Murray describes humility as, "total dependence on God". Jesus is our example, not other people, not what they do or don't do. The church has to keep Jesus as the example and the standard. Be humble because Jesus was humble, serve because Jesus served, sacrifice because Jesus sacrificed, those are the examples of how to live a life of humilty.
Whether your passionate about coffee, your kids, Jesus or all of the above you have to keep humility as the key. I have "spent" myself in this season for Jesus but I have done so by spending time alone with him and keeping him in the middle of everything I do. I can't focus on what others do or don't do because that becomes a stumbling block. I simply can love Jesus and do all he asks of me... So while you look at me and might think, "Martha, Martha, Martha" all I really want you to see is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...
