Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
February 17, 2025
This Week's Anchor
”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.’”
Luke 10:41 (NKJV)
One of the most common issues that leads individuals to therapy is anxiety. Whether day-to-day stress, financial concerns, family drama, unwavering deadlines, relationship/marriage struggles, the pressures of parenting, the weight of career or educational expectations, health issues, processing grief and trauma, and/or navigating the chaos of our world, most, if not all of us have waded through the turbulent waters of anxiety at some point in lives. I often remind folks that anxiety isn’t all bad. In fact, many of us can agree that anxiety has served us in some capacity in the past. Anxiety, when productive, can motivate us to prepare in ways that yield desirable outcomes across a range of tasks and achievements. However, much like Martha in Luke 10, sometimes our anxiety, even for a good cause, can get in the way of us showing up in meaningful moments.
When I read the story of Jesus’ visit to these two sisters, I personally relate to Martha while also deeply admiring Mary. This visit comes after an eventful journey of Jesus and the disciples throughout the land. Upon arriving in a village, they are welcomed into Martha’s home, accompanied by Mary, Martha’s sister. Like most sisters, Mary and Martha approach this visit with two different styles of engaging and serving Jesus. Mary takes a more mindful approach—quietly sitting with Jesus, holding His every word. In contrast, Martha takes a more active approach of preparing the space and tending to Jesus’ practical needs. As Martha realizes the workload imbalance, she brings her concerns to Jesus with understandable frustration, boldly requesting that He encourage Mary to be more helpful. This is where our anchor scripture begins, and we see Jesus’ surprising response to Martha. He doesn’t agree with Martha or fulfill her request. Instead, He lovingly challenges her perspective of Mary in this moment. He discerns Martha’s worry and anxiety and reminds her that His presence is more meaningful than the long list of things she is concerned about (Luke 10:41).
Whew…I don’t know about you, but I read this scripture and immediately felt God’s compassionate conviction. Truth be told, I’ve been a restless Martha more days than not, and I see her graciously as I understand a thing or two about anxiety, both professionally and personally. When I think about the origins of my own anxiousness, I realize the generations of women in my family with “Type A” personalities fueled by anxious undercurrents. Women who wouldn’t quite label themselves as “anxious” but are known to keep busy, distracting from uncomfortable feelings with long to-do lists and a moving target of expectations and goals. I don’t know Martha personally, but I sure feel like I understand her, and I imagine she, too, might have been this type of woman.
In this shared experience of getting lost in the doing, one specific word comes to mind as I consider how to describe this state of hyperactivity most accurately: preoccupied. To be preoccupied means to absorb or engross to the exclusion of other things. You see, the issue wasn’t Martha’s heart for service and desire to offer Jesus the best she could give. As Black folks put it, the problem lay in Martha being “worried about the wrong things”, and in this case, at the wrong time. She loses sight of the moment by focusing on working for Jesus at the exclusion of being present with Jesus. Many of us can relate to this unintentional exclusion, as this is the cornerstone of anxiety. It limits our view and restricts our focus. We often reference tunnel vision as our ability to hone skills and achieve goals, but what happens when our vision is out of focus? It’s easy to get so caught up in our worries, anxieties, and urgent demands that, like Martha, we miss the moment and lose sight of what matters. However, as illustrated by Mary, sometimes doing less is actually doing more, especially when the Holy Trinity is involved.
Nonetheless, although we read this scripture and see Martha’s hustling spirit being challenged and Mary’s mindful presence being praised, we know there is a time and season for everything, as there will be moments when God alternatively calls us to make Martha moves. This story reminds us of the importance of checking in with ourselves, reading the (Spiritual) room, and seeking the Holy Trinity to know how to show up in any given circumstance. The next time we find ourselves lost in our own worries, concerns, or lists, or confused about how active or present we should be in a moment we are called to, we can pause, slow down, and reflect on these questions:
Is what I’m currently focused on urgent, important, and/or necessary? Does it need to be my focus now? Can it wait?
Am I being intentionally present at this moment?
Is there anything I need to pay more attention to?
Have I talked with God about what kind of presence I should have in this moment?
Is there anything God is telling or showing me at this moment?
Is there anything He might want to say if I am still, notice, and listen?
What thoughts/feelings/emotions are arising now, and why? What do they represent?
What about this moment is meaningful for me? What is resonating? And what do I want to take with me?
As we enter another week, it is my prayer that we stand firm at the intersection of acknowledging the challenging feelings of anxiety while also being empowered to move in God’s purpose amid them. May we, through our anxieties, be revealed but not overwhelmed. May we have the courage to pause and be curious with ourselves. And may we not miss moments that matter, but instead make the moments that are meaningful.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to help you refocus your attention and be present in critical moments?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
Tuesday: Proverbs 3:5-6
Wednesday: Jeremiah 33:3
Thursday: Matthew 6:25-34
Friday: John 14:27
Saturday: Philippians 4:6-7
Sunday: Colossians 3:12-17
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
"For me, becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self.
The journey doesn't end."
Michelle Obama