But What About Me?

 

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🧡 Years ago when I was a mom of young kids, I was in charge of the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program at our church.  I thought a great fundraiser would be to host a craft fair.  I put out the info through the church and at the time the local paper (that was how long ago it was).

Hardly anyone came and the people that paid for their booths were pretty grouchy.  Some even left early.

🧡 I had the best of intentions.  I thought it was a great idea.  It totally tanked.

Do you ever feel like a Martha? We try so hard and no one notices.  Or we try so hard not to do something and intentions get misinterpreted.  

🧡 Only the Lord truly knows our heart.  

"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

But sometimes a change of heart is what we need.  We have never had a climate quite like today in our lifetime - stress, divisiveness, uncertainty, financial pressures, natural disasters & diseases- what do we do with it all?

Look at ourselves first. 

🧡 Coming before the Lord in our quiet time and asking Him to examine our hearts for our intentions:

"Search me O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" Ps 139:23-24

 

🧡 When we serve others- whether it be friends going through hard times, the homeless, newly expecting moms who have unplanned pregnancies, the elderly - we need to try putting ourselves in their shoes & listening to their perspective to genuinely being concerned for them.

Sometimes we just want to fix it, to rearrange the circumstances and it's not in our control to do it.   Sometimes we judge how they "got themselves in this situation in the first place".  

Hmmm. Ever have life not go the way you wanted it?  If not, spoiler alert: you're probably going to have life not go the way you want it sometime soon.  

🧡 But take heart, God does that so we can be more compassionate & empathetic towards others-

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and 

God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to 

comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves

 are comforted by God." 2 Cor 1:3-4

🧡 Martha loved the Lord and was trying to serve Him and others the way she knew- in a practical sense (Luke 10:38-42),  But Mary first prioritized her worship to the Lord. 

We need to be aware that the Martha in us can start taking over, and the distractions can take our eyes off of what the Lord desires, and instead put it on what we desire. 

🧡 Jesus has already answered the "what about me" question:

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Dear Heavenly Father, 

You created us to have Your heart for others - help us when we let the distractions and desires of this world conceal & prohibit that.  Open our heart to the needs of those around us so we can love on them the way You have loved us.  Spirit, we need Your help.  Amen.