Exchange Martha for Mary

By Yolandie Mostert, 30 April 2023

 

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luk 10:38-42)

 

The Martha and Mary room

I would like to start today’s message with something I’ve seen in 2019. While I was in prayer, I found myself in front of a closed door. Through revelation by the Holy Spirit I knew that I was standing in front of a room within my own heart. I’ve opened the door and became aware of a bad smell. In the corner of the room was a massive wheel. It looked like a hamster wheel. All around the wheel was droppings that caused the foul odour. On the wall above the wheel was a sign that read ‘Martha’. I was shocked that all of this was in me. Then the Holy Spirit started to show me my Martha nature. The enemy was driving me on this wheel of works, tasks and being busy. I wasn’t able to stop or to get off. Anyway, I didn’t know how to be different; I just couldn’t help myself. The stench was the result of my works and performance drivenness. I was too busy and it released a foul odour in the spirit.

After showing me this side of the room, the Spirit caused me to turn around. Against the other wall was also a sign. It read ‘Mary’. Below the sign was a chair, a white woolly carpet and a side table. The scene was soft and light and attracted me. The chair was reserved for Jesus and my place was on the soft white carpet at His feet. Everything within me desired to be able live from that place.

Then the Holy Spirit focused my attention to a bookcase against one of the other walls. My eyes fell on a large, beautiful book. It was almost as if light shone from the book. The Holy Spirit instructed me to take it off the shelf and place it on the side table. I went to sat down on the carpet. It was a peaceful, holy place. As I’m typing this today, that carpet is still as vivid in my mind’s eye as it was three years ago. The desire to may sit there is just as strong as then. I then became aware of the presence of Jesus on the chair. He handed me the book to open it. I randomly opened the book and the letters started to ascend from the pages. As it was moving around in the room, it also moved in and through me. Through the revelation of the Spirit, I knew at that moment that the words written in that book represented my calling and His heart for me.

Next the Holy Spirit said that He would teach me how to get off the wheel. Every morning I was to sit on the white carpet at the feet of Jesus. He would then open the book at the place that was in His heart for that specific day. Day by day – to listen and do. Also, through repentance and changing my lifestyle, I would be able to remove the feces and uncleanness of works from the room.

 

The exalted place at His feet

Now I would like to share Word that I’ve received from the Holy Spirit in August 2022.

“I am calling and bringing you to a lifestyle of Mary – someone that lived from the place at My feet. A low place, but the highest in My Kingdom. I am exalting you to the high place at My feet. It’s a place where I’m able to work and speak deeply.

Redeem the time and allow my Spirit to reveal your heart to you. It is your place, My bride. With your face against My feet. Your tears, consecration and prayers at a place of total commitment to Me. Your hair against My feet.

In the natural there is no lower place for man. For flesh it’s a humiliating place. But it’s the key to live a Mary lifestyle.

You ask: “But how do we achieve this in this busy life of hustling?” Allow My Spirit to teach you. Take the time out of every day and manifest it. Go and read what Mary did to me. Manifest it in the physical and it will come to pass in the spiritual.”

 

At His feet

I’m sharing the next experience to set the scene for today’s message. Last week, before our weekly gathering, Louis and I were in prayer. I prefer the quiet of my study. After earnest prayer and spiritual warfare, which I normally do standing or walking, I had a deep desire to just worship. The prayer and warfare prepared a holy atmosphere for what was to come. I went to kneel at the couch and was only able to speak words and utterances of worship. His presence became so intense that I was just aware of His sweetness and loveliness. At that moment I saw an image in my mind’s eye of Mary at the feet of Jesus. It was almost as if I was looking into the scene from above. Martha was busy serving food. The disciples and some other people were sitting around chatting. It was a comfortable and light atmosphere. Then the Holy Spirit moved my position from above the room to the viewpoint of Mary. It was almost as if could stand in her shoes and experienced what she did. Her eyes were fixed on His mouth and she drank in every word. She was also aware of His smell and His beauty. Everything else faded and became meaningless. Jesus was the central point of her focus and she didn’t even want to remove her eyes, ears and heart for even one second from Him. He consumed her.

Our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ then started to enter, greet each other and talked. In the room next to my study where everyone gathered, the atmosphere was light and joyful. Nothing that hindered in the spirit. I just didn’t want the moment with Jesus to end. It almost felt strange that people talked with each other while Jesus was sitting on a chair in the room. I wondered if Mary had the same thoughts. How is it that we miss Him? He sits in the room in His fullness, sweetness, love and glory. How is it that people are not even aware of Him? My heart cried out a few times: “how many times do we miss You, how many times are we not even aware that You are in our midst, how many times do we miss You to the point of ignoring You or that we are simply just not aware of Your presence!”

On this point I have mention that there is absolutely nothing wrong to greet each other lovingly and to talk friendly and joyful. It’s good that we do it. But in this specific holy experience, chatter just seemed very empty when measured against the intensity of who He is.

 

The things that I’ve shared up until this point provides a background to delf deeper: how does Martha and Mary look in practice. Many times, we share on a high and deep level and don’t make concepts practical. The first image of the Martha and Mary room – this is the first time that I’m really sharing this. I’ve only ever told, I think, two people about this. The reason was because I felt that I need to work through it and first get victory over my own Martha nature. Having said that, I don’t claim that I’ve overcome this completely; it’s still a daily learning process. Some days when I find myself on the hamster wheel yet again, I get really mad at myself. And that is a good place to be – when we really get tired of our fleshly nature. It’s then when we know that we cannot help ourselves. Then we really get to understand the true meaning of forgiveness and grace. What would we have ever done without the Blood of the Lamb!

 

What does our fleshly Martha side look like?

We are always busy with something. We have packaged schedules and when we’re asked how it’s going, the answer is always ‘busy’. It became fashionable to be busy. We are not necessarily busy with bad things. Martha was busy serving food to hungry people – it was necessary work.

A Martha lifestyle never have time to just be still at the feet of Jesus. There is always something that must be done first. It’s washing day or the ironing must be done. Working late becomes a lifestyle to meet the ever-unreachable deadlines. Over weekends there are activities, even more work or only time for relaxation and rest. Prayer and time alone with the Lord must wait for all of this to be done first.

Prayer and studying of Scripture must fit into a timeslot. For some people it’s ten minutes and for others at least an hour or so. One thing that my walk with God taught me is that our precise programs and schedules are not His. When His feet are calling, it’s calling. Whether it’s washing day, shopping day or a day planned for visits or sports.

Martha has a very fixed routine. There is almost no space to move things around. Everything is worked out to the t. Where will you fit Him in when He calls you to come to sit and listen?

The Martha part of us finds fault and criticises. Especially the ones that are not as busy as they are. It can maybe sound something like: “it’s easy for you to talk, you don’t have all my responsibilities”.

Our prideful nature is fed by our Martha things. Oh, how proud do we get when we can achieve more than the next person. Busy people are very proud of their ability to juggle so many balls at once. Have we ever stopped to check who has put each ball in our hands – our Father or our enemy?

Busy thoughts because of many activities, tasks, hobbies, outings and responsibilities results in a busy mind. A too busy mind prevents us from hearing His sweet voice. Our fleshly nature, Martha, struggles to become still. So many people prefer a program or routine for their quiet times. First, I read a few verses, then pray a few sentences and then I’m done. Or they might even listen to a teaching or message in the place of praying themselves. Remember prayer is two-way communication.

Because Martha is result driven, she will feel guilty to spend time with the Lord for maybe two or three or even four hours. It feels like a wasting of precious time. She will rather listen to an audio message. Then the Martha in us can tick that she has spent three hours with God while her do-things in all honesty received priority. Please hear me on this point. This is nothing wrong to listen to an audio message or teaching throughout the day while you perform your daily tasks. All of us have things that we have to get done. And it’s a wonderful way to fill our thoughts with Scripture and truths during the day or even the night. But audio listen time is not sitting at the feet of Jesus time. It will never be able to replace it.

Martha separates her spiritual life and life itself. Quickly finish the quiet time that the day and start and life can continue.

The Martha within prefers the old wineskin way. She feels safe in her routine of read your Bible and pray every day and attend church once a week. Because Martha likes to be in control, the new wine and new wineskin way is a challenge. It’s strange and unknown. Busyness became a comfort zone.

Because Martha wants results, something must happen or something must be done, she struggles with the concept of just sitting at the feet of Jesus and to enjoy His presence in worship.

 

Martha on the spiritual front

Martha represents works opposed to love. The order is the wrong way around. Through her serving of food, in other words the do-things, she tries to gain the favour of Jesus. Obedience is important and faith without the works to prove our faith is dead faith. But to love the Lord comes first.

When we get the order wrong, we become captive in a performance driven religion that wants us to achieve a certain spiritual standard first before we can be good enough for the Lord. This leads to spiritual inferiority because we will never be able to reach that standard through flesh. The opposite is spiritual pride; pride because of being spiritually okay. The ‘I have arrived’ mentality.

The Martha part in us always wants to look spiritually strong, well and able. It never wants to show any weaknesses.

It is our fleshly Martha part that becomes so focused on calling. ‘What we can do for Him’ instead of just knowing Him.

 

So how does Mary look?

Mary’s priorities look completely different. She knows what must be done and what can wait to rather spend time at His feet. Her focus is not on food and on her stomach, but rather on each word that comes from His mouth. I am saying that we are not allowed to eat or to prepare delicious meals? No, but if it takes up more time than what we spend with Him, our priorities are not in order.

Mary values time with Him greatly. It’s never a waste of time. She doesn’t expect anything in return. Time with Him doesn’t have to result in goosebumps. He is enough. The Mary part of us is satisfied by just being with Him.

Mary’s ears listen to His voice. She spends time to read and study His words. Time in Scripture is never wasted time.

And then, a Mary heart worships Him. She is intensely aware of His beauty and wants to tell it to Him. Prayer is not just a list of petitions. Sometimes it’s only words of worship and at other times a heart that worships so deeply that no words are necessary.

For the world and the nature of Martha, Mary looks extremely unproductive. She cannot necessarily show anything for her time. There are also no immediate results.

A Mary lifestyle is twofold. Firstly, it means to make the most of her time to be able to sit at the feet of Jesus. And secondly, it’s a permanent place. Jesus becomes her central focus in every task and activity. Whether she is getting dressed, deciding on what to cook for her family, where to go on an outing or vacation. He becomes the central point of every decision and activity.

The Mary part of us is the spiritual part that is alive. This very short sentence contains enormous dephts. May the Spirit gives you insight. This part gets sometimes so suppressed that Martha walks in front. But the Mary part has a deep longing to be able to know Him, to hear His voice and to be able to look into His eyes. To the measure that our flesh becomes weaker by the means of all the spiritual disciplines that we read of in the epistles, to that measure the Mary part can become stronger. He then becomes the overwhelming desire of our heart. Everything else fades into worthlessness and emptiness.

 

It comes at a price

Everything in life always comes at a cost of something else. There is always a price to pay; a sacrifice that must be made. It boils down to our priorities. To that what is really important to us. Let me give a practical example from my own life. I love to paint, but not don’t like exercise that much. The price I pay lies in my weak arm muscles, but my proficiency with the brush improves with every painting. Should I sacrifice painting, but start to exercise for hours, I will get the advantage of strong muscles, but at the price of developing my painting abilities. We have to calculate the cost. Can we live with the price? We have to decide.

The hamster wheel belongs to satan’s kingdom. It’s part of the system of Babylon that enslaves people to its structure. Our God is a god of order and peace. He gives us rest and His joke is easy to bear.

I frequently think of a testimony of Heidi Mitchell. The Lord wakes her up at an agreed upon time every morning. The previous night the Lord and she discusses at what time she needs to wake up. The first morning that He woke her in this way, He did so fifteen minutes earlier than what she requested. A little surprised, she asked Him about it and His response was that He doesn’t like a rush. This has given me so much insight into our Father’s order. And when I get rushed, I know that it’s not from Him. Then I have to make the adjustment that I can return to walking within His order.

 

How does it work in practice?

It’s easy to talk through the characteristics of Martha and Maria, but we have to make it practical in order to implement this new lifestyle. These are just a few points that can assist. The most important is to spend as much time as possible at His feet and to adjust our lifestyle in order to do so. Include enough time to be alone with Him into your daily planning.

Be flexible. As I’ve already mentioned, He doesn’t abide by our routines. There were times when I’ve sat down to write and absolutely nothing happened. I cannot write without His inspiration. And then at other times, the Lord will interrupt something I’m busy with and I can feel the anointing needed to write start to flow. Then I have to drop whatever I’m busy with to sit and write.

Time with Him never looks the same. There is no routine. Sometimes He will interrupt my petitions and guide me to sing songs of worship to Him. Then at other times I’m only praying in tongues or the Holy Spirit will change my praying in tongues to singing in tongues. Yesterday morning, it was to simply enjoy the daybreak in His presence on our stoep. I’ve read a few verses, but then it turned into an exchange of thoughts and He was doing most of the talking. Every time is different.

Learn to worship Him. There are so many of His children that doesn’t know how to worship Him or even what to say in worship. Worship is not the three last slow songs that gets sung on a Sunday. It goes much deeper than that. It’s a lifestyle, but it’s also words to describe to Him how wonderful He is.

Get comfortable to kneel and to lie on your face before Him. Not all prayer can be done in these positions. Warfare for example calls for more mobility. But worship and the manifesting of our Mary heart of worship requires us to come to the low place at His feet. It’s not below anyone of us to lie flat on our faces before Him.

Praying and reading the Bible as a family is a wonderful habit, but it can never replace our time alone with Him. Time at the feet of Jesus is one on one. There is no space for a third person.

Then a more difficult point: we have to assess all the balls that we are juggling and decide which must be removed. You will remove one at the cost of something else. Maybe the price will lie in finances or even something that you really love to do. This was a very difficult and hard lesson for me personally because I love a wide variety of things and didn’t want to let go of any. I had to choose to reduce some activities to buy more time to spend at His feet. We have to sit and think how we can buy more time.

Something even more difficult for me was the voices of condemnation within. The Martha part of me succeeded for a very long time to make me feel guilty. I had to purposefully quiet the voice that lied by saying: ‘you cannot even show anything for your time’.

We will have to make sacrifices. Maybe food, or long preparation of meals, house work routines, overtime for extra money, sleep, relaxation, sports, hobbies and the likes. What about certain weekend outings, television and social media that anyway just devours our time, certain gatherings and visits or holiday times. In the place of it, we can spend time at His feet. While you’re at it, why don’t you fast all teachings and social media for a certain time and allow Him to feed your directly?

Jesus told Mary: only thing is necessary – time at His feet – physical time and also a lifestyle. That is the good part that He was talking about. When we choose that part, it will not be taken away from us. It’s never wasted time. It will bring about a multiplication of fruitfulness.

 

The example Jesus gave us

Jesus gave some beautiful examples of spending time alone on a mountain with His Father. I’ll leave the references to all the Scriptures below; however I want to quote this instance in Matthew 14.

After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone. And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. (Matt 14:23 and 25 AMP)

A lifestyle of spending hours alone in His presence will result in miracles in the future. We want to walk on water, but we can’t even spend one night alone in His presence. The more we will redeem the time, the more we will see the new wine in new wineskins manifesting in our lives. And even if there was not a single promise linked to spending much time at His feet, He is still enough.

To be able to know Him, surpasses every promise, blessing and glory.

May the Spirit of the Living God shine His light in our hearts and may we be honest enough to recognise the Martha part. I pray that we will receive grace to repentance. And above all that we may truly know Him.

 

Additional Scriptures:

Luke 6:12; Joh 6:15; Matt 14:13, Mark 6:31-32

 

The audio version of the message is available on our telegram channel: https://t.me/+1hYU7h46Jj1hZDc8