Work in Progress

God is not finished with you yet.  Regardless of how weary you are … how old you are … or what mistakes you have made … God is not finished with you yet.

You may feel burned-out … washed-up … over-looked … or under-paid … but God has something for you that He has for no other person on the face of the universe.

His plan for your singular and ordinary life far surpasses anything that you have ever dreamed about … asked for … or imagined. 

You might ask incredulously, “How can that be true?!!”

It is true because He is God and you are His beloved child.

It is true because you are the crowning achievement of creation.

It is true because you have the DNA of the Divine Himself stamped upon your humanity.

It is true because you are not here by mistake or by chance.  You are here by His astounding creativity and by His focused plan.  When you wonder if He has forgotten you, in actuality, what you are doing is questioning and perhaps even doubting His love for you.

How can you question the God Who is defined with one eternal, perpetual attribute? God is love.

Perhaps you could identify with the bossy Martha who felt the extreme need to confront Jesus about whether or not she was on His radar screen.

In Luke Chapter 10, Martha, crabby and discouraged, accused the Lord of not caring about her or about her specific frustrations.  She called Him on it.  (Not a good idea!)

These were the careless words that came out of Ms. Martha’s overactive mouth when she was dealing with the false supposition that she was being overlooked by Jesus,

“But Martha, overly occupied and too busy, was cumbered (distracted) by the big dinner she was preparing. And she came to the Lord and said, “Do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the preparations alone?  Tell her to help me.” – Luke 10:42

What “big dinner” has caused you to be overly occupied, too busy, cumbered and distracted?

What preoccupation has caused you to be frustrated with the Lord?

Have you been cocky enough … and mistaken enough … to accuse the Lord of not caring about you and your particular situation in life?

Have you been foolish enough, like the controlling Martha, to tell the Lord what to do?

I am guilty of it every single day of my too busy life!  While I am of preparing “big dinner” after “big dinner” after “big dinner”, my priorities become confused and I take out my earthly grievances on my heavenly Lord.

Back off, Carol … back off.  It’s time to re-evaluate your priorities.

I have forgotten the power and the joy of time spent in His presence.  I have overlooked the fact that disciples must sit at the feet of the Teacher.

And so I find myself at His feet once again.  I discover, with Mary, the fulfillment that is found in only one place this side of heaven.

I determine that my “big dinners” aren’t worth the frustration.

Mary, the devoted, wise sister of Martha had chosen the good part … the very best part.  Mary had her priorities straight.

“There is only one thing that is worth being concerned about, and Mary has chosen (discovered) the good part (that which is to her advantage) and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:42

I want to be a Mary while living in a Martha culture.

I want to choose like Mary chose even when I am frustrated with my life.

I want to discover the importance of sitting at His feet when my world calls me to perform, to prepare and to produce.

I don’t know what you are going through today but I can tell you this … the historical account of the total opposite sisters is in the Bible for a reason.

Perhaps you are the reason that the Holy Spirit chose to include this very personal and embarrassing account in the Word of God.

You are not overlooked or ignored … He simply wants you to slow down, change your focus and choose the better part.

Martha blamed Mary for her frustration.  Who are you blaming for yours?

The source of your frustration is not the other people that camp out under your fingernails … the source of your frustration is that you have not discovered the part of life that is to your advantage.

Focusing on self and your particular disappointments in life will never reveal your purpose. 

You were made by God and for God and until you understand that, life will never make sense.  Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance and our destiny.  So linger today … linger at His feet.

Spend time in His loving presence and while you’re at it … forget telling Him what to do.  He’s got it.  He sees … He knows … and He cares.

• When Love meets bossy … Love wins.
• When Wisdom meets controlling … Wisdom wins.
• When Kindness meets frustrated … Kindness wins.

Jesus is waiting for you to choose what truly matters in life … time spent at His feet.  It’s to your advantage.