Sit and Listen at His Feet

Jesus said, "Martha, Martha you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing."

As I reflected on these words of Jesus, I was reminded of how well that statement describes all of us, or at least me. There are so many things that we worry about or are anxious about. Things like family members and friends who are sick, misguided, troubled, or addicted. We especially worry about those who are struggling in their faith or may have abandoned the faith altogether. The list goes on. At this particular time with an election coming up, we also worry and are anxious about the state of our country. We agonize about the future of our nation and pray that the bizarre and evil things being promoted in our culture and even by our government, by the grace of God, will change. We pray that our leaders will guide the nation to return to morality, kindness, sanity, and a more Christ-centered worldview.

We waste so much time and energy worrying. In Matthew 6:26, Jesus reminds us of our total dependence on God, saying, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life.” When Jesus goes to the home of the sisters Martha and Mary, he shares a meal with them. While Martha was busy with cooking and serving, her sister Mary wasn’t helping her at all, but sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him. When Martha complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping her prepare and serve the meal, he responded by telling her, "Martha Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

It sounds like Jesus is admonishing Martha, but he knows that Martha loves him just as much as Mary and just wants to make sure he is taken care of. However, he wanted her (and all of us) to understand that while serving him is very important, it is even more important that we continue to grow in our relationship with him instead of always scurrying about doing busy work.  While the work must be done, we have to take the time to sit quietly and listen to him. Jesus is emphasizing this when he says, “There is need of only one thing.” But what is this one thing Jesus is speaking of? That thing is a person, and his name is Jesus, and he is the one thing that we should center our life around.

Once while meeting with my spiritual director a couple of years ago, I told him that sitting quietly with the Lord and listening for his guidance like Mary was doing was the most difficult part of my prayer life. I told him that I could pray all day but sitting quietly, listening, and resting in the Lord was tough.  He got a very serious look on his face and told me, "Robin, I understand that sitting with the Lord before the Tabernacle or in Adoration and just listening is difficult. It’s difficult for a reason; the enemy doesn’t want you to do it. He doesn’t want you to hear what the Lord has to say to you. He doesn’t want you to hear the plan he has for your life, because then you might actually do it!"

My spiritual director encouraged me to keep spending quiet time with the Lord listening for his guidance and direction and asking him to remove any distractions that might prevent me from hearing him. He told me that if I was not sitting in silence listening to the Lord daily, that I would never truly know God’s will for my life, and that it was a necessary part of discerning how he wants me to serve him as a deacon. While I can’t say this is easy for me even now, and I still often fail to spend as much time in silence with the Lord as I should, I try my best every day to spend at least a little time in the church in silence with the Lord.  

We are so blessed to be Catholic where Jesus is here in the Tabernacle 24/7 just waiting for us to come, sit at his feet, cry out to him in prayer, and then sit in silence listening to him as his friend Mary did.    

Worry and anxiety can only be reduced if we focus our lives on the one thing Jesus asks us to center our lives around, which is him! If we make Jesus the most important person in our life, not one of the most important, but the most important, everything else will fall in place.

Amen