Service with an Attitude

You start out on a good note.

You’re the one who asked to serve. You invited some friends over. You were looking forward to the event.

It was your idea to begin with. Then all of a sudden it all went downhill.

What you thought would be fun is not. What you thought would make an impact is only impacting your peace of mind. You hoped you’d be recognized, maybe thanked. But instead you’re looking around at everyone else while something inside you is ticking, waiting to explode.

Meet Martha, the sister of Mary, in Luke 10:38-42.

She was the one who invited Jesus over to begin with. He was her friend, but all of a sudden her sister is the one hanging out with Him while she’s slaving away in the kitchen.

Pretty soon she’d had it.

She explodes sounding very much like a three year old, sounding very much like a familiar version of my often frustrated self: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?”

In a matter of minutes Martha goes from sweet servant to terror level orange in the house of Bethany.

As I consider the example of Martha, I see four red flags to Godly Service that every Christian must watch out for:

1. Service without Joy. The moment you begin to sense that joy has walked out the door of your service is the moment to stop and listen. What brought this shift in parameters to bear? You may have started out joyfully like Martha did, but somewhere along the line joy was replaced with duty and guilt. It’s time to pay attention.

2. Service with Self-Pity. One of the greatest distractors to Godly service is self pity. Self pity is rooted in pride and the sense that I deserve more than I’ve been given. It is rooted in the idea that I haven’t gotten my due. Don’t fall prey to self pity. Martha felt sorry for herself the more she contemplated her plight in the kitchen. Too many dishes and too many nagging needs around her stole her joy leaving her wondering if anyone was paying attention to her. Don’t let self pity encroach on your heart. It will threaten to destroy you.

3. Service with Jealousy. Nothing brings a person down quicker than the roaming eye. Stop looking at your friend’s lot in life and focus on what is before you. Jealousy creeps up slowly and wraps its ugly tentacles around the heart stealing joy and peace with it. Peter was guilty of the same in John 21 when he eyed John with envy. The Israelites in the Old Testament had the same disease. And here too, Martha looks at Mary, and she seeps with jealousy. How come her sister has it so easy? How come Martha has to do all the work? In the words of any 3 year old, it’s not fair. If you’re feeling this way in your service, you need to stop and consider where your eyes are fixed. Take them off your neighbor and look up instead.

4. Service with a distorted view of God. Last but not least, this red flag to Godly service is a huge one. The moment you take your bitter resentments and turn them on God you allow the devil to win. Martha utters four infamous words that have been sinfully said by many others to God: “Do you not Care?” Never allow your insecurities and sinfulness to accuse God’s character this way. God does care. He loves you. And we see His gentle response to Martha in vs. 41 where He ways: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus refocuses Martha’s vision in love. He reminds her of what is most important.

It’s all about the one thing, the main thing.

Have you figured this out yet?

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