Overwhelmed

Intro

Tis the season to be jolly, fallalaahahahla

The holiday to-do list… shopping, cooking, decorating, parties, travel. We call it "the most wonderful time of the year," but for many, it's just the most scheduled time of the year.

The expectation gap — The difference between the ideal Xmas and the reality of stress, debt, and exhaustion.

We say things like… "I'm so busy," or "I'm slammed." We wear busyness as a badge of honor, but it's often a mask for feeling overwhelmed.

When was the last time you felt truly present for a meaningful moment, instead of just rushing to the next one?

Busyness has a way of making you feel purposeful, we fall victim to the lie that busy = productive. In reality it just leads to you feeling this way…

Overwhelmed.

Being overwhelmed doesn't just make you tired; it makes you absent.

Relational Cost —The people we say we love the most (family, friends) get our stressed-out, distracted, leftovers. We sacrifice presence for presents.

Spiritual Cost — Busyness makes us focus on the service for Jesus, at the expense of sitting with Jesus. We are constantly in motion, moving away from the one thing that can settle our souls in this season of stress and so called joy.

If the goal of the season is to celebrate Jesus, why are we organizing a life that has no room for His presence?

Scripture

Jesus “as he went along...” Mark and Luke’s Gospel.

There is a valuable lesson found in the teachings of Jesus recorded by Luke.

Luke — thoroughly investigated all these things. Luke would say, I researched this, I talked to eye witnesses of this event.

Luke 10:38–39 NIV

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.

Women where meant to stay behind the scenes and prepare food for the guests, that fact that Jesus even welcomes Mary is astounding and a cultural bugaboo.

Jesus had been here before with this family. Scholars believe Jesus stopped by this house often during his ministry, anytime he came through Bethany. He was familiar with this family and he loved them.

Luke 10:40 NIV

40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Martha is running around like a wild woman getting the house ready, cooking and cleaning.

You’ve been there before — watching Leah run around and be ready for the family at Thanksgiving. Martha is in host mode. She’s worried and stressed out b/c Mary isn’t helping.

You can hear it in her voice — Mary why aren’t you helping? Why aren’t you more involved? I need help! She’s even talking to Jesus about it.

Let’s pause her for a moment — have you ever been so busy in your life that you have prayed to Jesus about it before?

Prayed for him to get you through a season?

Asked for patience with the kids b/c your job has taken all of yours?

Prayed that he would spark your marriage again b/c you and the husband are too busy to spend quality time together.

If you’ve ever been there… Mary is your people. And let’s be honest, we’ve all had this moment before. We’ve all been so busy that we are mad at the other people who aren’t as busy as us…

We call them lazy, they don’t work as hard, they simply don’t get it. It’s so easy to be judgmental when you only see your side. Martha is like that right now — Mary, what are you doing?

Jesus sees what’s going on and he decides to use this as a lesson, he wants Martha to learn something, but if we’re honest he wants us to as well.

Luke 10:41–42 NIV

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

You can hear the tenderness in Jesus voice, he sees the way she is feeling, and knows what she’s going through and it’s in that he says you are worried about many things, but you don’t need to be. You’re so worried about having it all together, having everything look clean and tidy. Martha, it’s not that this is bad, it’s that there is better.

Martha, all the work you’ve been doing it’s great for the now…but it’s a distraction. What really matters is sitting right here in front of you.

Let me say to you, to me, what Jesus said to Martha. All that prep and all that earthly work, that can be taken away from you.

One sickness can cause you to go bankrupt.

One accident and you lose everything.

Jesus point is simple, what matters isn’t getting to the next xmas party or buying the right gift or the promotion at work. Those things aren’t bad…but there is better.

You relationship with Jesus.

But there’s something else happening in this scene. Jesus is sitting with friends. Laz is probably there, Mary is there his disciples are there. Mary is spending time with people who she loves and loves her.

Those are the two things that cannot be taken away. You relationship with Jesus and people.

Simply put: Stop the striving, start the sitting. The best moments of life are not made, they are shared.

Application

There is a danger that exists for everyone when we focus only on those things. We become exhausted and overwhelmed. B/c you weren’t meant to exist that way. You aren’t meant to push faster and harder all the time, b/c you miss the important moments.

Here’s the action point.

Sit more.

Our lives are characterized by how much we can get done and how fast we can move and it means that we are left feeling tired, exhausted and overwhelmed. The way we fight it is simple although not easy...

Sit more.

Here’s what I mean, be intentional with times that you spend with family or what matters most. B/c you can stay busy sure, but that’s not what’s best.

Job — christmas party — christmas shopping — decorating — PTO events.

They are important but there is better.

Super simple action plan.

Sit with your family once a day.

Breakfast/lunch/dinner — any of those with work.

Be on the lookout for places where you can sit more. Identify them as you go along and when you notice them...

Sit. Don’t rush, don’t move onto the next thing, just sit.

Don’t trade what is good for what is better.