“But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
— Luke 10:41-42 (ESV)
It always amazes me how Jesus gently calls Martha out. Not for doing something wrong, but for missing what mattered most. She was working hard, trying to serve, trying to make things just right for Jesus. And yet, somehow, she missed Him.
Meanwhile, her sister Mary was sitting. Listening. Being.
Let that sink in: One sister was serving Jesus, and the other was sitting with Him. And Jesus said the one who sat had chosen the better thing.
When Serving Becomes a Substitute for Surrender
Martha wasn’t doing anything bad. In fact, by our standards today, she was a role model. She was productive. Responsible. Helpful. She was making things happen.
But productivity isn’t the same as purpose. You can fill your day with noble tasks and still miss the heart of God.
How many of us live like Martha? We say yes to every church event. Volunteer in every department. Join every ministry. We equate activity with obedience and busyness with godliness.
But let’s be honest: sometimes, we’re just hiding. Hiding from fear. From calling. From intimacy with God. From the scary stillness that comes when we sit down and ask, “Lord, what have You actually called me to do?”
The Religion of Busy
Busyness has become the acceptable addiction of our generation. We praise packed calendars and worn-out schedules. We brag about how tired we are. We equate exhaustion with impact.
And in the church world, it gets cloaked in spiritual language. We’re “serving the Lord.” “Staying faithful.” “Putting our hand to the plow.”
But the truth? Sometimes we’re spinning our wheels in circles God never asked us to drive.
Religious activity doesn’t always equal divine assignment.
Jesus didn’t come to recruit volunteers. He came to make disciples.
And disciples are called to follow, not just stay busy.
Jesus didn’t call us to fill calendars; He called us to follow Him—and following requires listening, not just doing. Share on XWhen Obedience Gets Crowded Out
Here’s the danger: we can get so busy doing things for God that we stop listening to God. Our days are so full that our hearts become unavailable. We don’t have time to pray, to think, to discern. We just keep going.
But obedience requires space. You can’t hear a whisper in a storm of noise.
That’s why Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). Even He needed quiet to align with the Father. How much more do we?
If you feel constantly overwhelmed, it may not be a time management issue. It may be a calling clarity issue.
When your life is too full for stillness, you’re likely missing the quiet whispers where God reveals your next step Share on XYou Are Not Meant to Stay in Training Forever
God does use seasons of preparation. Training is real. Character formation matters. But training is not meant to be permanent.
You weren’t saved just to sit. And you weren’t called just to stay busy.
Eventually, there comes a moment when God says, “Go. Launch. Step out. Speak up. Show up.” And if we’re too tangled in religious routines or people-pleasing cycles, we might miss that moment.
Hebrews 5:12 puts it bluntly: “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”
Maturity means movement. Obedience requires action. You can’t graduate if you’re afraid to leave the classroom.
Optimizing for Applause vs. Living for Purpose
Another trap is performance. We want people to notice. To appreciate us. To affirm that we’re valuable.
So we stay busy. We keep adding. We say yes when we should say no. We build platforms instead of altars.
But applause is fleeting. Purpose is eternal.
Colossians 3:23 reminds us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
When you’re aligned with purpose, you don’t need applause to keep going. The joy of obedience is enough.
If you’re building for applause, you’ll burn out chasing it. But when you live for God’s purpose, His joy sustains you. Share on XBetter Questions for Better Clarity
If you’re feeling stuck in religious busyness, here are some questions worth asking:
- “God, what have You actually called me to do in this season?”
- “Am I doing this out of obedience or out of obligation?”
- “What would I stop doing today if I wasn’t worried about disappointing people?”
- “Is there a persistent nudge or prompting I’ve been ignoring?”
- “Where am I optimizing for visibility instead of obedience?”
God rarely shouts. He nudges. A quiet whisper. A gentle recurring thought. A growing unrest in your spirit. Pay attention. Clarity often comes in the discomfort.
Seek First the Kingdom—Practically
Jesus said it best: “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Seeking the Kingdom doesn’t mean quitting your job to become a missionary (unless God tells you to). It means recognizing the divine in your ordinary. It means asking God, “How can I reflect You in this space? In this meeting? In this project? In this family?”
Kingdom work is not always church work. Sometimes it’s entrepreneurship. Sometimes it’s parenting. Sometimes it’s mentoring one person behind the scenes. What matters is not the visibility, but the obedience.
When Kingdom Work Looks Unexpected
I once read about a man who felt guilty for leaving full-time ministry to start a business. For years, he battled shame, thinking he had let God down. But that business became a source of provision for missionaries, scholarships for young leaders, and jobs for single moms.
He wasn’t less spiritual. He was just finally aligned.
Your calling might not come with a microphone. It might come with spreadsheets or construction boots or quiet conversations over coffee. But if it’s what God assigned it’s part of your kingdom assignment and it’s holy.
Kingdom work isn’t always about platforms or pulpits. Sometimes, it’s hidden, ordinary, and quiet—but just as holy. Share on XPractical Ways to Step Out of the Busyness Trap
1. Audit Your Activities
Make a list of everything you’re committed to. Ask: “Is this still part of my assignment?” Give yourself permission to release what’s no longer required.
2. Create Margin
God speaks in the margins. If your life is so full there’s no room to reflect, it’s time to declutter.
3. Practice Saying No (With Love)
Not every need is your responsibility. Say no to good things so you can say yes to the best things.
4. Revisit Old Prompts
Sometimes, God gives us assignments that we shelve out of fear or uncertainty. Reopen that folder. Reread that journal entry. Revisit that dream.
5. Spend Time Listening
Take walks. Journal. Sit in silence. God honors intentional space.
Stop Performing. Start Obeying
If this message feels convicting, let it also feel liberating. You don’t need to prove your value. You don’t need to be seen to be significant. You don’t need to do more to be more.
You are deeply loved. You are already chosen. You are already called.
So breathe.
Let go of the pressure. Step off the hamster wheel. Say yes to alignment.
You weren’t made to live exhausted. You were made to live empowered.
And the moment you stop performing and start obeying is the moment everything starts to change.