DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE WRONG REASON

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called 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.  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, 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 10:38-42

“What” you do sometimes isn’t as important as “why” you do it.

At first glance in the “Martha and Mary” story, we might think there is nothing wrong with what Martha is doing.  Of course, there is nothing intrinsically wrong in the natural with her actions.  Trying to prepare a meal for the guests she has invited into her home is a good thing.  However, when she addressed Jesus as Lord and in the same breath questioned His caring and then proceeded to give a command to Jesus, it becomes quite apparent that the things she is doing are being done for the wrong reason.

In the Lord’s answer to her, we find that she was not preparing a meal for the Lord and His party out of the goodness of her heart as a service to Him, but “was worried and upset about many things”.  Martha was doing a good thing but for the wrong reason.  Does it make you wonder if she just invited Him into her house to try to impress Him, or impress the neighbors, or impress Mary, or impress His disciples, etc.?

Do you, as I do, sometimes see yourself doing the right thing for the wrong reason?  We all should examine our own motives in everything we do.  We should pray that we, like Mary, would choose what is better for we know it will not be taken away from us. 

Father God, help us to critique ourselves as we seek to speak and do things in your service, in order to assure that we are doing things for the right reason.  In the Name of Jesus, we ask it and know that we have received that for which we ask.  Amen and so be it.