Luke 4:42-43
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
If you go to a bookstore and look at the New Age or self help section, you will see some familiar themes. So often, the advice in these books is just an echo of the life of Jesus with words like rhythm, center, purpose, and this one, balance. Jesus himself is the ultimate help, not the self. Look at what he did here. He went away to be alone, most likely to pray. Then it was time to fulfill his purpose. Jesus knew when to go to be alone and he knew when to work. The balance between the two is the key to Christian life.
So many people have their foot on the gas, driving themselves into exhaustion. Their motives are admirable. The lost are dying and the workers are few. They feel they must work 25 hours a day. If Jesus wrote a self help book, he might call this The Martha Effect. There is so much to do that there is no time to be like Martha’s sister Mary and sit at his feet. But Jesus demonstrated here that being a true follower is to follow him in every way, to the towns to preach the gospel, to the cross, and to the prayer closet.
O Heavenly Father, you are so good. You give us purpose but you also give us peace. Help us to maximize both gifts and pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.