Serving the Lord Takes Many Forms

AM Psalm 40, 54 • PM Psalm 51
Job 29:1,31:24-40 • Acts 15:12-21 • John 11:30-44

Yes, I feel smug as I read the words from Job. I also have not put “confidence in gold.” Neither have I gloated on the extinction of enemies. Well, I AM big on nature, even writing an ode to the beautiful tree in my front yard (the tree is far prettier than my ode) but I believe I always know that God is the Father of Nature. I have also been kind to the traveler and to those homeless standing in front of Walmart trying to gather enough change for dinner. So I am feeling pretty good about myself. But hold on: isn’t there some saying like “Pride goeth before a fall”? Yes indeed, there it is in Proverbs 16:18—“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” 

I read further through our Daily Office for today to see if I can glean some helpful guidance about how to behave. The passage about Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha (see also John 12) serving Jesus in different ways gives me some examples of how women dear to Jesus behaved around him. Martha serves as a hostess type going out to greet Jesus when he arrives at her home in Bethany and worrying about the “stench” when Jesus rolls away the stone from Lazarus’ tomb (Acts 11:39). Meanwhile Mary “simply” venerates Jesus by listening to him and washing his feet, then drying them with her hair(Acts 12:3). 

A passage from John Milton pops in my head: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Despite his “disability” of blindness, Milton is able to serve God through his poetry. I smile: everyone belongs in God’s world and can serve Him and the world in different ways.

Written by Karen Hodges

...who is trying to learn to be a little more like Mary and less busy like Martha and who needs to work on her writing.