Mary & Martha Revisited

My mom and I went to visit my brother Jess last week in Maryland. While we were there, we got to talking about the idea of rest. I mentioned how this past year there had been several times the biblical account of Mary and Martha had given me cause for reflection. When Jesus came to visit, Martha busied herself with many tasks, but Mary sat at his feet drinking in his every word and soaking up his presence. I saw why it was so important to have the same heart Mary did in recognizing what was most important, but it was hard to figure out how to achieve that without shirking responsibility.
Our conversation that evening at Jess's cleared up some confusion. How many of us are driven to perform for the sake of something? It could be for something as material as money, or the less tangible deep emotional need for approval. Maybe it's a desire to maintain some sort of control in life, or a feeling that our human efforts are the only thing standing between success and failure.
Whatever the reason, if we labor under the delusion that we must perform to have value, I think we'll miss what Mary found. The fact is, God loves each of us simply because you and I are human beings...not human doings. There is nothing we can do to be accepted, to be loved, to be deemed worthy. We just are. The sooner we give in to this, the more Mary's choice will make sense. Her relationship with Jesus is what defined her. Maybe Martha's tasks weren't the problem. Maybe it was that she busied herself with accomplishing them at the expense of the relationship. It may be a very fine line to walk, but if we can find our identity in who the Lord is and who He says we are, we can work from a state of rest. Psalm 46:10 says, "Cease striving and know that I am God."
As the winter draws to a close and a new production season is about to begin, I know that things are going to be getting busier around here again. I would do well to remember that my efforts may be necessary in being a good steward of what God has loaned us for now, but having a heart that, like Mary's, will sit at Jesus' feet whether I'm working or not could mean the difference between burnout and Sabbath rest.
What about you? Have you learned to work from a place of rest?