“But Martha was cumbered about much serving…” (Luke 10:40)
Stress is something that we face every day. Even children aren’t immune to stress nowadays. In Luke 10, we see a woman who was stressed out and we learn a few lessons about stress from her experience.
LESSON #1—Stress Will “ACTIVATE” Your “FRETTING.”
Stress will cause us to fret and worry. And many times we are worried over things we have absolutely no control over. More than not, we bring stress on ourselves unnecessarily. For example, when we fail to adequately prepare it can cause us stress. Martha did not feel adequately prepared for Jesus to visit and as a result she got stressed out.
LESSON #2—Stress Will “AFFECT” Your “FOCUS.”
Because Martha was stressed out, she was no longer focused on Jesus, the guest of honor. Rather, she was focused on all the work that had to be done. The Bible says she was “cumbered about much serving.” Stress comes when we become more focused on our WORK FOR God, than on our WORSHIP OF God.
LESSON #3—Stress Will “ALTAR” Your “FELLOWSHIP.”
Martha’s stress got her focus on Mary because she said, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” Not only will stress get your focus off of the Lord; it will also get your focus on others you feel aren’t doing as much as you. Her stress caused her to be angry with her sister. Stress can cause us to lash out and hurt the ones we love most.
Don’t let the cares of this world, and the circumstances of life get you stressed out. If you do, it will activate your fretting, affect your focus, and altar your fellowship. Instead, take your burdens to Jesus and let Him carry the load.