Category: Digging Deeper

⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Mark 2:9-12 (ESV)

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JESUS DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE – AGAIN!

 

In 2015 the world was taken by storm with the biggest question of the decade. Is the viral photo of the dress black and blue, or white and gold? You know you sat around the dinner table, turning the brightness up and down on your phone, debating your loved ones. It was incredibly controversial! What’s funny about the debate is that there was an actual answer. The photo was deceiving, but the dress was in reality black and blue (personally, I still see white and gold).

 

Knowing the hard-heartedness of the scribes, Jesus asked a controversial question in Mark 3. Which is easier, forgiving a man’s sins or making a paralyzed man walk? The scribes had already made their answer clear in verse 7. Only God can forgive sins. They most likely had seen other miracles, magic tricks, or faith healers in that day do some incredible things. Think back to Exodus. God is causing these ten plagues and using Moses to tell Pharaoh what was going to happen. Twice, magicians of that day were able to copy God to discredit Moses.

 

These scribes knew the harder option was to forgive the man’s sins. Jesus knew this too, but how can you prove somebody’s sins have been forgiven? Jesus tells them that he is going to heal the man so they can know that his sins have also been forgiven.

 

Immediately the paralyzed man gets up and walks out of the house. The text doesn’t necessarily say this, but I picture this paralyzed man dancing out of the room like the old man in the Six Flags commercials. Jesus was able to heal both the man physically and spiritually.

 

Isn’t it crazy that we can sometimes doubt God’s ability to work in our own lives? We read passages like this and get so excited watching the scene play out in our head, but then when difficulties in our lives come, we fold quickly. Friends, if Jesus has done the hardest task in forgiving your sin, he can also heal any mess that you are in. That does not mean that he will get rid of all of your problems, and you will live a pain-free life. If God cares for your biggest problem (sin) then he also cares for the difficulties you face in life.

 

What is the life circumstance that you are struggling to give to Jesus? Maybe it’s a past mistake that the shame of it still haunts you daily. Maybe it’s a current circumstance physically, relationally, or financially. I’m not sure what it is for you today, but God knows. He wants to see you through it, but only if you’ll freely give it to him. Jesus was willing to do Whatever It Takes for you to live in this freedom, so let’s walk in it!

 

Take a minute and pray to God, surrendering your circumstance. Allow him to work in that area of your life today! Doing that won’t absolve you of all responsibility, but it will free you to take steps toward what God has for you.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?

Mark 2:6-8 (ESV)

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CYNICISM HARDENS HEARTS

 

Have you ever given your all to something, just for others to not approve? Maybe it was the group project in high school or the home renovation during lockdown. You put in hard work, sweat, tears, money… all for somebody to critique your work. It can be a dejecting feeling.

 

In this story the friends worked so hard to get this man to Jesus. Climbing the roof, tying rope to a stretcher, lifting him up, tearing off sticks, clay and straw, lowering him down (probably on top of other people), all for the scribes and religious leaders to question what Jesus had done. They had faith that Jesus could heal this man, but Jesus did the harder thing and forgave his sins.

 

This made the scribes angry and Jesus (being omniscient) knew that in their hearts they were questioning him… so he called them out. They accused Jesus of blasphemy. They saw the faith of others, but instead of encouraging them in their own belief, they questioned Jesus and his intentions.

 

It’s easy to read a story like this and want to assume the friend role. You may think “I’m willing to do Whatever It Takes to get my friends to Jesus,” but unfortunately most of us play the role of the scribes. When our family member who seems “too far gone” begins to trust in Jesus, do we cheer them on or call them out? When we know our co-worker had a crazy weekend making bad choices, but raises their hand or comes down front on a Sunday, do we see their past sin, or do we see the power of the Savior?

 

Today we are marked by cynicism. The world has made us hard. We choose to blame it on our personalities, our wiring, our enneagram number, or so many other things. I wonder if the biggest miracle that day didn’t happen. For Jesus, giving a man the ability to walk was easy. Forgiving the sins of a heart that was ready to receive God’s grace was easy. I wonder if the biggest miracle was missed that day: breaking through the cynical, hardened hearts of the scribes.

 

For you today, will you ask God to soften your heart? Whether it’s to the relationships around you, the circumstances you’re going through, or the way you view God himself… we need soft hearts to hear clearly from God.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

³ And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 

Mark 2:3-5 (ESV)

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CHRISTIAN FRIENDS VS. CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP

 

Years ago, a pastor said something that changed the way I view my close relationships: “There is a difference between Christian friends and Christian friendships.” His point is that we can easily surround ourselves with other believers, but Christian friendships play an active role in pushing us closer to Jesus.

 

In this story we see that there were four men who were not content to just hold the same values as the paralytic. I wonder how the story would have gone if these guys just went to the same church? Or if they just took a second to pray before eating? Or if they expressed the same political views as the paralytic? There is nothing wrong with these things, but I wonder if we have tricked ourselves into becoming content with just having Christian friendships. It’s easier that way, right? If they have the same beliefs as you then there are little to no disagreements. We get along. We smile at each other at church, but that is the extent of our friendship.

 

I wonder if God wants more out of our relationships. Christian friendships are willing to push each other, even when it is uncomfortable. Christian friendships are there to stand in the gap when life is tough. Christian friendships are willing to do Whatever It Takes to get their friends to Jesus, even tearing off a roof.

 

The passage we covered this past Sunday hits its focal point in verse 5 when we find out that Jesus didn’t just have compassion for the paralyzed man, but the faith of the friends is what caused this man to find his miracle. It wasn’t the paralytic’s faith, but the friends’ faith. They carried him to Jesus.

 

Let me ask you, who are you carrying to Jesus? It can be difficult, inconvenient, and uncomfortable, but if your friendship is truly centered on Christ, it is always worth it. I want to challenge you today. Will you commit to carrying somebody to Jesus? Take a minute and pray for a friend, co-worker, or family member who does not know Jesus. Pray that God would use your words and actions to help them find him. This story ends in salvation but even as believers we need a constant reminder of the good news of Jesus. Take time today to encourage a close friend, spouse, or child and see how you can better help them to look like Jesus.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

⁴⁰ And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” ⁴² And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³ And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ⁴⁵ But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.

Mark 1:40-2:2 (ESV)

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PEOPLE WERE COMING TO HIM

 

Growing up I loved the Atlanta Braves, and I loved collecting sports memorabilia. I vividly remember my third-grade field trip to watch the Braves play the San Diego Padres. I brought my brother’s glove, a stack of trading cards I received from my Christmas list, a baseball, and a black Sharpie. That day I walked out with 17 autographs, not because the stadium was empty, but because I could squeeze my body between people to get to the front. My dad watched in amazement because of his claustrophobia. Now why did I go to all of that effort? These guys were celebrities! Jeff Francoeur, Adam Laroche, and Braves legend, Ryan Langerhans (for some reason, Chipper wasn’t entertaining 10-year-olds that day).

 

Before we jump into our passage for the week, we need to understand why the house was full. Why was Jesus so sought after? This is only the second chapter of Mark. Jesus has just begun his public ministry after about 30 years of obscurity. So far Mark has talked of Jesus’ baptism, him being tempted, calling his disciples, and bringing about three miracles (healing a man with an unclean spirit, healing a town from sickness and demonic possession, and cleansing a leper).

 

I don’t know about you, but just one of those miracles is enough for me to want to fight a crowd at Turner Field for Jesus’ autograph! This house was over the fire code because they wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle in their own lives.

 

Jesus’ miracles were not just party tricks. They were life changing. Imagine being possessed by a demon, being sick for years, or being isolated from community due to a disease. To us these may just seem like simple Bible stories; but put yourself in their shoes. I would tell everyone I know!

 

Apparently, I am not alone. Jesus tried everything to remain obscure, but very soon he could not enter a town because people were coming from every quarter to see him. Jesus returned to Capernaum and immediately was surrounded by others looking for their own miracles. He was surrounded by people who were willing to do Whatever It Takes to get healed by Jesus.

 

For you today, are you willing to get to Jesus no matter the inconvenience? This house was not comfortable. There were a lot of people and no air conditioning. Maybe the line was out the door and Jesus was moving at the speed of the DMV. What if you had another meeting on your calendar for that day? What would be enough to send you away?

 

I would hate for us today to miss Jesus and the blessing he brings all because it does not fit on our calendar. Maybe today Jesus wants to speak to you. Will you allow yourself a few undistracted minutes to hear from him?

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

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TRUST CARRIES US THROUGH SUFFERING

 

As we learned about Martha and Mary this week, we have seen repeatedly how differently they treated the situation of Jesus’ visiting their home. While Mary sat and soaked up his words, Martha complained that she should be helping her prepare for the guests, to which Jesus replies, “Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things (Luke 10:41).”

Worrying about the wrong stuff instead of listening to the Lord, now that sounds too close to my life. It is normal to worry, to feel anxious, but when does worry become sinful?

According to Dr. John Piper, all the time. Answering a question about it on his podcast, he said “Worry or anxiety is a sin. God wants us to trust his sovereign, all-wise, all-good, all-providing, all-protecting, ever-assisting care. This is a trust issue.”

Trust is hard when it means we must forfeit control. We all want to feel “in control” in our lives as much as possible. Yet the older we get, the more we are forced to face the fact that we control much less than we would like to admit.

God tells us repeatedly to trust Him in the face of trouble (Proverbs 3:5, Joshua 1:9, Jeremiah 17:7-8, John 14:1, etc.). Sometimes He tells us that by putting us in impossible situations, stripping us bare of any notion of control and forcing us to our knees in desperate hope and prayer.

My wife, Deanna, and I faced such a situation with our first child.

When we were 36 weeks into an up-to-that-point “normal” pregnancy, Deanna received a phone call and we had to go in for terrifying news – our daughter, Roselyn, had a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) and faced grim odds at life following her birth.

We were crestfallen. Our first child, the first grandkid of the family, might not survive. For the next four weeks we met with specialists, sought opinions from doctors all over the country and even debated trying to make a trip out of state to have her delivered at a hospital that might be better suited for such a high-risk birth and a surgery thereafter.

I scoured the pages of scripture daily, searching for whatever hope and truth I might be able to cling to in the words of God. And one night, weighing all of these tenuous options, a verse reached out and spoke to me from Hebrews: “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT).”

I was reminded, clearly, that I wasn’t in control. We have no choice but to trust in those moments because we are trying to seek his will, not our own. Patiently enduring until the end so that we can receive his ultimate promise – eternity in his presence.

We tearfully prayed at Roselyn’s bedside for every day of her life, and after 22 days she passed into eternity. We found a song, through a friend, called Though You Slay Me by Shane and Shane, and the song resonated deeply with us and was played at her service. Finding its roots in Job 13:15, the chorus goes like this:

Though You slay me
Yet I will praise You
Though You take from me
I will bless Your name
Though You ruin me
Still I will worship
Sing a song to the One who’s all I need

We listened to the song over and over, and in the online version there is a break and a snippet from a sermon by Piper is played where he talks about suffering. Preaching from 2 Corinthians 4:17, he insists that every second of anxiety, pain and suffering that we feel this side of Heaven is “working in eternal weight” to produce Glory for the Kingdom God. It all matters and it all counts.

It’s not easy to walk with the pain we all carry, like that of child-loss for us. We have to come to the cross for any chance at finding meaningful and lasting peace amidst this fallen and sinful world. For in this world we find trouble, but Jesus has overcome this world. (John 16:33).

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

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REMEMBER GOD CARES FOR YOU

 

Being a dad is the best thing I get to do each day. Our two boys are full of energy and life and bring much to joy us. Their personalities are so different, as happens often with siblings, and as a parent the differences breed an even greater depth of adoration.

One thing they both do frequently, though, is ask for help. My older son likes playing Mario Kart, and when he gets stuck on a hard level he quickly calls for dad to help! My younger son loves Legos, but he hasn’t quite mastered the construction process, so what does he do? “Dad, help!” I am not as good at Mario as I used to be (I still haven’t lost to him, don’t worry), and I am no Lego “master-builder.” So when I help my kids, the results often produce painstaking errors before resolution.

These inconsequential problems my kids face serve as a good model for how we behave. When we get faced with tough situations as Christians, we look skyward and say “God, help!” And that is a good thing! God wants us to bring our troubles to Him. Peter says “Cast your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).”

The fact that God cares about us is quite humbling. That feeling alone provides spiritual sustenance when I remember it. The problem is that when I am facing anxious and troublesome moments, it is difficult to remember!

When we examine the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) this week, we see Martha asking for help, much the way my kids do. As she feverishly works, she demands Jesus to send Mary in to help her (with an audacity I can only hope to attain). As Jesus tenderly rebukes her, we are reminded that Mary’s eagerness to find the words of Jesus are a great example for us.

When we face moments of trouble, we want the quick fix, just like Martha. However, in many instances the Lord chooses to teach us through patience or suffering. In these moments, we must remember the many promises of the Lord and trust that He’s got us, even if it’s not in the timeline we would like.

The Psalmist reminds us to “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).”

There might be pain, there might be anxiety, there might be misshapen Lego projects, but the Lord promises to sustain us if we will turn to Him. For “God is ever true to his promises (1 Cor 1:9),” so if He promises to sustain us, then He will.

Just trust him.

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

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IS COMPARISON ROBBING YOU?

 

As someone who enjoys presidential history, I relish the chance to read biographies and anecdotes about our leaders of the past. Probably my favorite President is Theodore Roosevelt. Raised in a Christian home, Teddy was devout in his faith his whole life.

Teddy understood the importance of biblical study, saying “I ask that the Bible be studied for the sake of the breadth it must give to every man who studies it.” He is easily one of the most quotable Presidents our nation has had, producing countless refrains in our common lexicon today.

Here is one often attributed to him that you may not know: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

As we studied in Luke this past week, we found the disparity between sisters Martha and Mary as Jesus taught in their home. Their reactions produce a clear picture of two distinctly different kinds of behavior. Mary sat and soaked in Jesus’ words, while Martha hurriedly tried to prepare food and clean for the guests. In Martha’s annoyance, she got so busy comparing herself to Mary, suggesting that it was “unfair” (Luke 10:40) that she was doing all the work while Mary sat and listened.

Our lives place us in constant situations of comparison. Especially in America, a country where resources abound, we can easily get wrapped up in trying to keep up with the Joneses, until (as Mike Linch likes to say) you realize your neighbor is Chipper.

This is exactly what Teddy was hinting at – when we compare ourselves to others, just as Martha did, we allow that disparity to steal our joy. We can muster up feelings of inferiority or superiority quite quickly, and lose site of the blessings we have right in front of us.

Sometimes the comparisons run far deeper, as we see others blessed in ways that we are not, manifesting in good health, or perhaps financially. This discontentment is indeed a thief of joy and can seep into our spirits and fester into bitterness. This is ripe ground for the enemy to plant his seeds of doubt and despair within us. The antidote, for us, is the belief in our savior Jesus Christ.

We must always remember that our joy is not linked to things like finances or health, but in the hope of eternity in the presence of God.

In Lamentations, Jeremiah speaks greatly of the afflictions facing Jerusalem after its fall at the hands of the Babylonians. Chapter 3 quite literally opens with “I am the man who has seen affliction…” (Lamentations 3:1, ESV).

Yet Jeremiah comes back to the Lord and his goodness: “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him. (Lamentations 3:24, ESV).”

We face the temptation to compare ourselves and our situations to others, and we can get lost in despair when lying in those pits. It is a natural part of the human condition.

In those moments we must remember, as Jeremiah did, that the Lord is our portion and cling tightly to the joy found in Christ. For the contentment we find in him transcends the doubts and troubles we face in this world. The author of Hebrews reminds us to be content with what we have because “he will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).”

Don’t get caught up comparing yourself to others, for it is a fruitless endeavor. Instead, focus on the joy and contentment you find in the love of Jesus. Only in him can you find true joy.

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

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THE DOWNFALLS OF DISTRACTION

 

Marveling at the wonders of modern technology is easy to do these days. The technology we each hold in our hands, perhaps as you’re reading this, is itself remarkable. The advances in our present age offer limitless entertainment and communication and have given way to new ways of working and completing our daily tasks.

With all of these new gadgets and gizmos comes a bit of trepidation. With each new app, phone, computer, self-driving car, etc., we can become distracted. Routines get altered for convenience and at times we can lose meaningful moments due to our incredible distractions. These distractions often take us away from what matters most, and the warp-speed nature of our modern schedules breeds anxious feelings.

We need to press pause and be intentional about our relationship with Jesus. Paul tells us in Romans, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, ESV).

We have to fight the urge to clutter our schedules and limit our distractions, despite what the world tells us we need. We don’t need to get a new phone, or a new car, or those new Jordans (even though I really want them); we need to renew our minds by spending time with Jesus. Our anxious clutter can be resolved by this intentional erosion of our “busy-ness.”

In the 90’s action movie The Rock, John Mason (played by Sean Connery) is talking about his special forces experience and notes “I was trained by the best, British Intelligence…but in retrospect I would have rather been a poet, or a farmer.”

This simple life he references is something that tugs at our hearts. We weren’t meant to be so distracted and busy. We fill our calendars with meaningful intent, feverishly working in appointments, practices, homework, meals, parties and meetings all in one day, all the while trying not to dirty our superhero capes.

This is how Martha felt when she jumped at the opportunity, along with her sister Mary, to have Jesus and some followers in their home. As Jesus spoke, Martha was hard at work preparing to serve the guests, getting annoyed with her sister for not helping as she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened. Then, when Jesus rebukes her (Luke 10:41) he noted she was “anxious about many things.”

She worried too much! Instead of being distracted and anxious (like Martha), we need to take a deep breath and return to the throne of our King (like Mary). Whatever we have in front of us – worrying us, distracting us, nagging at us – we need to set it aside and sit in the presence of Jesus.

In Colossians 3:2 Paul says to “Set your minds on things above, not things on Earth.” The apostle is pleading with us to have the right perspective on our daily schedules.

Is your heart set on what is above? Are you making a schedule that prioritizes the Lord?

Trust in him and make time for him – DAILY.

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

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THE ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY

 

Anxiety. That word alone carries connotations and emotional responses for all of us when we see it. It has permeated our society at alarming rates, affecting all ages and leaving many to ponder its causes and potential treatments for it. According to one study by the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 31 percent of U.S. Adults experience clinical anxiety in their lifetime. We are all familiar with it, and many of us have experienced it.

We learn that Martha experienced it, too. When Jesus had joined Martha and Mary in their house, we see some angst from Martha. She felt like her share of the serving workload was imbalanced and unfair as Mary sat and listened to Jesus speak. But in Jesus’ response to her request for assistance, He didn’t simply say that Mary was doing the right thing by listening to his words; He first noted that Martha was “anxious and troubled about many things (ESV).”

Anxiety can have that affect on each of us. We lose patience, feel upset or depressed and can even lash out in irrational ways. So, what should we do when we recognize these symptoms in our hearts? From the lips of our Savior himself we are told to do as Mary did: sit and listen to His words.

RC Sproul, when preaching on this passage, said that “while Martha was grousing, and complaining, and feeling annoyed at her sister, Mary was basking in the presence of Christ.”

Sproul also noted that when the Lord rebukes Martha for begrudging her sister, that he did so “in the most tender fashion,” as one dear friend would do to another. When he addresses her “Martha, Martha” that name repetition is a clear sign of Jesus’ affection towards her. He recognizes that what is happening in her heart isn’t about Mary at all, but rather a manifestation of her inner turmoil.

In correcting her, the Lord simply says that Mary has chosen “the good portion.” When you are faced with anxiety, will you choose the good portion? Will you bask in the presence of Christ? That is the only way to truly find peace.

In the gospel of John (14:27), Jesus promises each of us peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

So instead of worrying, instead of begrudging, instead of being overwhelmed, fight with all of your might to bask in the presence of the Lord and his words. He cares about you, and he promises us peace if we will trust in him.

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

READY:

“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” 

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

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A SOLID FOUNDATION

 

SET:

In 2020, when things started to reopen after the shutdown, we decided to build a house. There was so much planning and preparation that went into turning a wooded lot into a livable home. Before we could get to the fun stuff like picking out lighting, floors and paint colors, we had to decide on a floorplan and determine where we wanted the house it sit on the lot. Since we weren’t going to have a basement we decided to build a really big garage (insert all man excitement here). It was important to have plenty room for our vehicles, lawn equipment and space for a shop. Making these changes to this one space of the house that hadn’t ever crossed my mind resulted in lots of extra planning and work for the architect. Once they had the blueprint redrawn, we then had to figure out placement of the house so that we stayed within the lot lines. All in all it took nearly three months after we decided to build before we were ready to get started. As excited as I was to move on to picking out the fun stuff for the livable space it was imperative that we get the foundation right first. 

 

In today’s passage we read what Matthew recorded from Jesus telling us about another foundation that we need to take the time to get just right. Jesus says that we would be wise to build our house (life) upon His words – that if we do so, when the wind and waves come we will be able to stand strong. He didn’t say IF they come but WHEN because we can be sure difficulties will happen. None of us want to walk through hard times but we are told repeatedly in God’s Word that while we are here on earth we will face difficulties. What we can do is prepare for them before the first sign of a breeze appears by building a firm foundation. We do that by storing up the promises of God in our hearts as we spend time each day with him in his word. Jesus gives us a warning in the person of the foolish man who builds a house on sand. If you’ve ever been to the beach or seen video of the tide going in and out you can understand why sand isn’t the best place to build a house and how it is easily knocked down.  

 

Just like it took time to get the foundation right four our new home it takes time to build your foundation with Jesus. The wind and waves that come our way look different in different seasons so we have to spend time with him daily to make sure we are prepared for whatever is headed our way. We need not be anxious about the impending hard times because we can trust that we have a firm foundation in our good Shepherd who will not leave our side! 

GO:

• Where is your foundation built? On the sand of self or the Rock of Jesus? 
• How will you be ready for the hard when it inevitably comes your way?

 

WORKOUT: 

• James 1:22-25 
• Psalm 1:1–2 
• Matthew 7:11 
• Matthew 7:24-27 

OVERTIME: 

Jesus, thank you for being our firm foundation, the rock on which we stand. I think of the song that says “when everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad, that I put my faith in Jesus, because He’s never let me down.” Lord it’s true that even though we face seasons so difficult we aren’t sure how we will ever get through them, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will get through them because you are with us.  Father, let us be like the wise man who listens to you and builds a foundation upon you and you alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.