Recognize your season: Mary Martha or Laz?

Hello everyone,

I wasn't planning on coming on here today, but Jesus had other plans… so here I am.

My thoughts feel a bit all over the place, but my focus is steady.

First, I want to clarify something. In my previous post, I mentioned someone from my past who once told me they’d always have a place in their home for me. That wasn't written to make them look bad, nor was I blaming them for my current homelessness...far from it. Honestly, I don't think I could have avoided this path anyway.

There are assignments set before us before we are even born that we inevitably have to face. You can’t bypass the process, though I’ve seen people try. Out here, skipping the process for me would have looked like agreeing to a "situationship" with a guy who happens to have a nice car, a comfortable home, and money. It looks tempting on the surface, but it’s a trap that eventually lands you right back at square one: on the street.

I firmly believe the only real way out of a season like this is through Christ. The enemy will always present shortcuts, but they are counterfeits and snares. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone for where I am today.

In life, you have to discern the exact season God has you in. Lately, Jesus has been bringing me back to the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. I won't retell the whole passage...I’ll leave that for you to read...but their roles reveal a lot about how to identify your current season, and why it’s counterproductive to try to fight or hustle your way out of where God wants you right now.

Take Martha. She was the busybody, stressed out and complaining to Jesus while He was the guest of honor in their home. She was in the kitchen trying to deep-clean the whole house, polishing the fine dishware, probably searching YouTube for recipes fit for the literal King! She was moving furniture around, lighting candles, and scrubbing the bathroom for the third time just in case.

Though what Martha was doing was good....and was meant for God...she was elevating the act of service above the Guest Himself. She was wrapped up in the doing. I relate to her because I’m a planner and a doer by nature. I often struggle to be still like Mary...to simply sit, listen, and worship without feeling like I need to be working. But sitting at His feet is the work. When God calls you to sit, listen to His teaching, and receive His direction, you can't rush past it. You have to know when it’s time to sit quietly like a child. You don't need to constantly run around worshipping the assignment instead of the God who gave it to you, or stressing over how you'll get to the next step. He already has that mapped out. Clear strategy and direction almost always come after you’ve spent time at His feet.

Mary understood how to sit still, worship, and receive. That posture came naturally to her, whereas planning and coordinating didn't.

Then there’s Lazarus. He was the one with the testimony. Sitting at the table with Jesus, his presence alone told the room about Christ's power to raise someone from the dead. He was the living proof. Some of you are waiting on your testimony right now...hang in there, it’s closer than you think.

I don't know where each of you stands today:

• Some of you are Marys, called to sit, reflect, and listen.

  
  

• Some of you are Marthas, knee-deep in your work with every resource you need to execute the vision, having a great time doing it.

  
  

• And some of you are Lazarus, stepping out of a painful, buried season and adjusting to life outside the tomb. You might feel an uncomfortable spotlight on you simply because people are amazed by what God did in your life. Your story is turning unbelievers into believers; some people will love it, others won't, and that's okay. Just share your story as He leads. Sometimes you won't even need to say a word...people will see the fruit and know Christ saved you.

  
  

So, which season are you in right now? You don't have to comment below, but hold that question in your heart. Let it sharpen your discernment so you aren't striving when God is calling you to rest, or asking Him for direction when He’s already told you to come take a seat.

Don't be like a tired toddler fighting naptime...asking for one more snack, wanting to watch one more show, getting all cranky while Jesus is gently trying to put you down for a rest. You're over here trying to go "bye-bye" and do the absolute most, but He's saying, “No, child...it's time to be still.” 😊

To everyone praying for me: I feel your prayers deeply. I feel the joy, peace, and love they bring. I am okay. I am simply in my transitional season, waiting on His timing. When Jesus says, "Come forth"...I will.

 Tashia L. McLayea

 Lead Architect | The Sovereignty Society