7-20-25 “Balance in the Christian Life: Being and Doing”
“Balance in the Christian Life: Being and Doing”
I want to start with something funny I found on an internet site: A human resources director found herself at the Pearly Gates. “We’ve never had an HR director here before,” said St. Peter. “So we’re going to let you spend one day in heaven and one day in hell, and then you can choose where to spend eternity.”
“I’ll go to hell first and get it over with,” she said. She spent a wonderful day playing golf on a beautiful course with her former executive friends. After the game, they enjoyed a sumptuous meal at the clubhouse. Then, she returned to heaven, where she spent the day sitting on a cloud, playing a harp.
“Have you decided where you’d like to spend eternity?” St. Peter asked. “Yes,” she said, “Heaven was great, but too boring. I choose hell.” “Okay,” said St. Peter, “off you go.”
When she arrived in hell, she found everything barren and desolate. Shocked, she asked Satan, “Where’s the golf course? And where are my friends?” Satan smiled and said, “Yesterday, we were recruiting you. Today, you are my staff.”
It’s just a joke—but if we really could choose whether to go to heaven or hell, which one would you choose?
When I was in Chicago, a young adult member once asked me, “If heaven is just worshiping God all the time, won’t it be boring? Why should we even want to go there?”
That question made me wonder: do we sometimes experience worship as boring? Maybe she had been to services that felt lifeless, and she assumed heaven would be the same. Since then, one of my ongoing prayers has been that people would experience joyful worship on Sundays—worship that reflects the heart of heaven.
I shared that prayer with a friend one day. She responded, “If someone is in love, they want to see the one they love every moment of every day. In the same way, worship should feel like dating Jesus—the One who loves us so deeply and whom we love in return.”
That made sense to me. I now pray that all God’s people will fall in love with Jesus so deeply that they naturally enjoy worship—and every part of ministry—as if they were joyfully spending time with the One they love.
Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to throw a birthday party—cleaning the house, cooking the food, buying presents, setting up games—only to forget whose birthday it is… and not even invite the birthday person! Worship can be like that. It’s a celebration of the Risen Christ. It’s a time to remember His resurrection and to confirm our hope in His promise. Worship is our confession that we believe in Him. So… how could that ever be boring?
Today’s Scripture from Luke 10:38–42 is a well-loved story about Mary and Martha.
Imagine this: Jesus, the traveling teacher and miracle-worker, comes to your home. You only have a few minutes to get everything in order—food on the table, the house straightened, water poured, and guests welcomed. That’s exactly where we find Martha—doing what most of us would do. But her sister Mary chooses a different path: she simply sits at Jesus’ feet, listening intently to His words. And Martha? Well, she’s frustrated.
It’s like working hard to clean the house while your spouse lounges on the couch watching TV. At some point, you might march over, turn off the TV, and hide the remote! But here’s the truth: this is not a story that pits Martha against Mary. It’s not a contest between doing and being. It’s an invitation to find balance in our walk with Christ.
First, let’s honor Martha. Martha had a servant’s heart. The home may have been hers, and she welcomed Jesus in. Her busyness came from love and responsibility. She wanted everything to be perfect—clean, warm, and filled with food. Many in the church are Marthas. They arrive early to make coffee, set up communion, run the tech booth checking the computer and screen, cleaning up after fellowship hour, or organizing events. Without Marthas, church life wouldn’t function.
But here’s the challenge: When our doing becomes disconnected from our being with Jesus, we grow weary, anxious, and resentful. Jesus didn’t scold Martha for serving. He gently said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.” The problem wasn’t her hospitality—it was her heart’s condition.
Now, let’s look at Mary. Mary chose to sit and listen. In a culture where women weren’t expected to sit at a rabbi’s feet, she broke the mold. In her own home, she assumed the posture of a disciple. Her older sister might have thought, “Hmm, you know you shouldn’t be there. You’re a woman—you should be in the kitchen, not sitting with the men.”
And Martha didn’t quietly ask Mary to help. She loudly addressed Jesus: “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Martha likely expected Jesus to affirm the cultural norm. But instead, He affirmed Mary. “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say Martha was wrong. He simply said Mary made a choice that was centered on Him.
We live in a world of constant motion and noise. We’re quick to judge others through our own lens—shaped by culture, custom, upbringing, and beliefs. Mary broke expectations. But she centered herself on Jesus. She reminds us that listening to Jesus isn’t about gender, status, or role—it’s about the heart.
So, what can we learn? This story is not about either/or. It’s about both/and. Jesus doesn’t call us to stop doing, nor does He want us lost in passive contemplation. He calls us to live centered lives—where our doing flows from our being with Him.
Imagine a wheel: The outer rim is the activity—ministry, family, work. But the center—the hub—is our time at Jesus’ feet. When the hub is strong, the wheel turns smoothly. But if the center is off, the whole thing wobbles.
To all the Marthas—those who plan potlucks, mow the lawn, manage spreadsheets, clean up after service—your service matters. It is holy. It is beautiful.
Jesus isn’t asking you to stop serving. He’s inviting you to serve from a place of peace and presence. To let His words refresh you. To remember that your identity is not in what you do for Him—but in who you are to Him. Let us not become so distracted by the good things we do for Jesus that we miss the better thing—being with Him.
Mary and Martha both loved Jesus. Both were part of His circle. And both remind us:
Balance is not about choosing sides. It’s about staying centered. So, this week, make space for both. Sit at Jesus’ feet—even for just a few minutes each morning—praying, reading Scripture, or reflecting with a devotional book. Then rise to serve—not from stress, but from joy.
Let your doing flow from your being. Because when being and doing come together, Christ is glorified, and we are renewed.
Thanks be to God. Amen.