Six Ways to Sit at the Feet of Jesus in 2021

And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. Luke 10:38b-39

A Martha During the Holidays

I have a confession to make. I didn’t take my own advice in this blog post. 

Determined to rest my soul and prepare my heart for the Christmas season, I started following my own advice. I did say “no” to some things that were asked of me. I took naps and laughed. I watched The Chosen and did my daily quiet time each morning. However, I did not give up my family traditions of cooking and baking.

I tried to let go of all the baking and food preparations. I really did. And I almost made it to Christmas, but then the morning of December 23rd hit, and I found myself turning into Martha. Running to the grocery store to get last minutes items for some traditional foods that I make for Christmas. Short and snappy with my husband, the Martha in me complained to my husband that I was the only one doing things to get ready for Christmas.

“The Christmas gifts aren’t wrapped, the house needs tidying up, and none of the food is prepared,” I screamed at my bewildered husband. He stood and stared at me. Judging by the look on his face, my actions and tone change caught him completely off guard, considering that his wife had acted perfectly normal earlier in the day.

The Martha coming out in me caught me off guard also. Things were going smoothly until I started planning things out for the following days, and I thought I hadn’t prepared much of anything. Stress and anxiety took over. Good-bye Mary. Hello, Martha!

Not a Normal Christmas

Can you relate?

We all know that Christmas was different this year. Zoom calls replaced family gatherings. In-store shopping was almost non-existent, and online orders were at an all-time high. The stress of the pandemic may have gotten the best of you, and the joy that you once had for Christmas was barely visible. You smiled for the sake of others, but inside, the anxiety and stress tightened their grip around that little joy you had.

Friend, it’s time to kick your Martha to the curb and turn back into Mary! It’s time to return to the feet of Jesus and listen to Him. It’s time to rest our souls and let Jesus lead us to a peace that we so desperately need.

Six Ways to Sit at the Feet of Jesus in 2021

After the past year that we’ve had, it’s time to refocus and not only thank God for His love and guidance but also rest at the feet of Jesus. But how? How can we sit at the feet of Jesus and rest when there are still so many unknowns surrounding us? We can start by praying and then let the Lord take it from there.

Here are Six Ways to Sit at the Feet of Jesus in 2021.

1. Make Time for Him. If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you will know how much I stress the importance of uninterrupted quiet time. Everyone’s daily schedule is different, but I encourage you to make time early in the morning – right before the sun comes up. Everyone is still asleep, and the texts and emails will not start for a few more hours. Grab your Bible, a journal, and a pen, and put your phone on “do not disturb.” You can sit in silence or read and meditate on the Word.
2. Attend Church Weekly. During this pandemic, it’s easy to skip your online church service or in-person service. I encourage you and your family not to miss a Sunday service. I know how easy it is to sleep in, but attending a church service is a spiritual habit that you can greatly benefit from.
3. Participate in a Bible Study. While your local church may not be meeting weekly for Bible study due to the pandemic, there are plenty of online bible studies that you can participate in. I am a small group leader for Proverb 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies, and P31 hosts five studies a year. Lifeway Women also has studies starting up this month. I’ve done both organization’s studies, but I favor the P31 studies. P31 also has a wonderful app called First5. It’s a devotional reading geared to start your day with five minutes of reading on a particular book of the Bible.
4. Write the Word. It’s one thing to read the Word. It’s another thing to write it physically. Studies have shown that when we write something down, we focus on what we are reading from; what better way to study and even memorize Scripture than through our own handwriting.
5. Listen to Praise and Worship Songs. One of the best things about having a phone is the music that is available to you. Within a few minutes, you can create a praise and worship list. If the stress of life starts to get to you, you can feel your heart and mind with wonderful worship music with one touch of a button.
6. Set Boundaries and Say No. Did you know that setting boundaries for yourself are good for you? We weren’t made to say yes to everyone. We must create white space and margins around us. We will dive more into this topic next week, but for now, know that it’s ok to say no!

Returning to a Mary

“Are you better?” my husband asked me with a cautionary tone.

After returning home from the grocery store, I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to grab my Bible and sit and read. The heaviness that I had that morning was lifted, and my mood went from a Martha back to a Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus and soaking in His Words.

After I apologized to my husband for my words and actions, the whole family came together to get what was needed to be done for our Christmas celebrations.

If you feel like you are falling into a Martha, please know that you are not alone. At times, we all slip into that role. The solution to this problem is right in front of us. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds and sit at the feet of Jesus.

*This month’s blog series focuses on soul care. Next week, I will be writing about saying “no” and not feeling guilty about it.

Be sure and check out these blog posts on Spiritual Habits and Soul Care:

• A Gift for You – A Free Prayer Planner
• Feed Your Soul with Silence and Solitude
• It’s Time for Some Silence and Solitude, Mom!

Forgiving What You Can’t Forget Bible Study

Are you ready to jump-start your 2021 and dig into a great Bible study? I would love for you to join me in Lysa TerKuerst’s new study, “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget.” The study begins on January 19th. Click here to sign up today. To join my small group, please email me at missy@missyeversole.com, and I will get you all set up.