Share the Good Portion

By Laurie Mathers

I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a deaconess. I work, and I serve. After all, isn’t it a woman’s duty to busy herself with many things? That is what I’ve always thought and sometimes been taught.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ 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. 38-42

Martha, it appears, believed the same thing I did – that, as a woman, the measure of her life was in her “much serving.” Martha fretted because she had a houseful of guests. Her value and her identity were on the line, and possibly her pride. But Jesus was not impressed by her busyness. Neither did he mind that her sister sat idly at his feet.

According to Jesus only “one thing is necessary,” and it is not our hustle and bustle. It is the time we spend together at His feet, being filled and transformed by his heavenly words, that will never be taken away from us. That is “the good portion.”

Only learning together from Christ frees us to serve with joy and to love without grudging. That is one reason why CGB Women’s Ministries is committed to providing quality Bible studies for women.

This fall we are offering Hoping for Something Better, a 10-week study of Hebrews, written by Nancy Guthrie. The book of Hebrews was written to people being tempted, like many of us, to trust in our works instead of the gospel. Hoping for Something Better will be offered at two different times, Monday evenings at 7:00, beginning on September 11th, or Wednesday mornings at 10:00, beginning on September 13th. If you would like to attend, please contact the church office at 530-342-8642. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to set aside your hustle and bustle and learn from Christ together.