When I think about Mother’s Day, I think about the diversity of mothers, and it’s hard to find a message or song to cover them all. For each of you, I pray that your way of mothering is consistent with who God made you to be, and that you don’t feel pressured by others or by culture to conform to some other standard.
Something that’s usually in short supply in a mother’s life, and in the lives of us all, is “margin”.
Most of us live at an unsustainable, unbiblical pace, and don’t have a clue as to what to do about it. It’s insane what “normal” is today.
Are you enjoying your life? Many, if honest, would say, “No. I don’t have time to enjoy it.” It seems that everyone I know has so little margin in their life, that when something goes wrong there’s no time or energy left to process the bump in the road.
Definition of Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary. It’s the difference between what you have and what you need.
Margin is having extra money at the end of the month, or extra time to sit and talk with your kids. It’s having the emotional energy to deal with struggles, or nights in your schedule when you have nothing to do. Margin is having money to invest or to give to people in need. It’s being free to spend significant time with God every once in a while. Margin is what most of us don’t have.
I’m convinced that the best things in life are realized in the margins. Margin gives you the opportunity to hear God and enjoy the fullness of this life. It allows you to step outside the box and connect to a vision, a possibility. No matter how busy you are, creating margin is essential. It makes room – for life to happen.
But if we want margin, we have to make changes.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a
woman called Martha opened her house to him. She had a sister
named Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
Luke 10:38-40
Jesus’ visit was unplanned, not on the schedule. Martha sees all that needs to be done, while Mary sat down with Jesus. Both women had the same opportunity to do something different, to be with Jesus. Mary embraced the moment and sat down with Him. Martha was distracted – not by something bad or wrong. (Our distractions are seldom bad things.) She was distracted by a good thing – preparing a meal for Jesus and his friends.
Someone once said:
“If Satan cannot make us really bad, he’ll try to make us really busy.”
Having margin is a decision. Mary & Martha were in a time of choice. Mary chose to go against the expected norm and make a moment. Martha chose to be busy.
She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has
left me to do the work myself? Tell her to help me!”
Luke 10:40b
Martha was defending her schedule, convinced that she was right. And when we’re challenged to let something go to build margin in our life, we’ll be tempted to do the same thing.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2
How did Jesus answer the busy Martha?
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset
about many things, but only one thing is needed.
Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41, 42
As the margin in your life decreases:
Your stress increases.
Your relational intimacy decreases.
Your spiritual connection fails.
Mary chose Jesus. Martha didn’t have time, could not envision margin, and could not see that she, too, had a choice.
We need margin to hear God and process what He’s saying.
We need margin to care for people and ourselves.
We need margin to “smell the roses”.
Without it we miss Him, and we miss life.
That’s not what God wants for us.
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Application thoughts:
Are you enjoying your life?
If not, is it because you are too busy doing things that seem too important not to do and never take time and allow for margin?
Are you willing to interrupt your schedule to capture a moment this week?
If not, what are you afraid of losing?
