Devotional Reading from the Daily Common Lectionary: Luke 10: 38-42

Text: “…you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. (vss. 41b and 42a)

The story of two sisters is almost parable in nature. Most people identify themselves with one sister or the other; the one who is conscientious and works diligently or the other who doesn’t. I think, though, that what the story is meant to tell us that the sisters’ story is really our story. We may identify with one sister or the other, based upon our nature and upbringing, but the challenge in life is to find a balance between the two.

Some time ago I read that the hardest working muscle in the human body is the heart. It beats millions of times in a lifetime. It is able to do this because it maintains a balance between work and rest. When it gets out of balance, life threatening arrhythmias occur. We need to find a balance in life. It is the way God made us.

In the first Creation story of Genesis 1, God set aside a sabbath day of rest. This time of rest and recreation applied to animals and people alike. There was even a time of rest for the fields that grew crops to eat.

Finding a balance is increasingly difficult for those of us who live with “first world problems”. It is hard to unplug from the constant “dings” of messages and calls on our smart phones. I do not pretend to have an easy answer because I have tried a variety of easy answers. I discovered that there is not a “one size fits all”. You have to find your “balance”; the one that God intended for your life.

Lord, help me find a balance between my “Mary and Martha”. If I am too preoccupied with work, help me find sabbath. If I am not occupied enough by the duties before me, help me pick up a greater load. My goal is to grow closer to You. Help me find that balance. Amen.