Selah, 

Pause and Rest at the Feet of Jesus

It all started when I shared with one of my mentors Ps Q, that I have finally finished my studies and graduating the next day. Well, I could only make it official the day before because that’s how it was, I was doing my final presentation on the day leading up to graduation. His response to this message was Selah, normally that would have been code except I knew now because we had just gone through the meaning at his Bible study class. For a person who does not know, the word selah is often found in the book of Psalms, most bible scholars believe Selah was a musical direction used in ancient Hebrew worship, possibly indicating a pause, a change in rhythm, or an instrumental interlude. This can be taken as a reflective pause to either emphasis an exaltation or a profound moment for what it signifies whether in that moment or the next. 

Based on our continuous conversations and where I am in my walk with God, I understood why he sent me this response and so I reflect on that. I have chosen to pause (selah) at the feet of Jesus, taking a page in the story of Mary and Martha, two sisters to Lazarus. The story is found in the book of Luke 10, where Jesus upon his travels visited their home. Here the bible talks about the different roles the two sisters played during the visit. Martha became the perfect host who fussed about the guest, making sure he was catered for and needed for nothing, while Mary decided to just go chill at the feet of Jesus and listen to all that he had to share. After a while Martha got frustrated running around on her own and went and asked Jesus to intervene and tell her “lazy” (I imagine) sister to also help. But Jesus’ s response to Martha shocks many.  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42

Now this scripture made me reflect a lot about what should follow the selah moment. The trap of Christianity that is busyness or the business of Christ that is not always seen? I find myself reflecting on what the next season should take on to keep me rooted at the feet of Jesus. The Lord Himself says “but few things are needed—or indeed only one”.  You see I have the potential to be Martha, because I, like many of you, love to serve. Serving is our way of honoring God. Serving for some may have been a way of replacing old habits with new habits. And for some being hospitable is just their nature. But as I reflect on this scripture, it sounds like Jesus is saying only one thing is important, hearing from Him. This speaks to distance and access. Proximity is more important than productivity and that is something He would not take away from us.  Sorry what?  So, is being busy not a measure of faithfulnes?

Here Jesus is cautioning us Christians to not confuse the work of our hands with spiritual service. He says delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. 

Faithfulness is a deep and complex trait that we learn from God. Faithfulness is character and relationship centered.  At the core of it, faithfulness speaks to the unconditional love God shows us everyday even when we are so undeserving , His loyalty, steadfastness, and the unwavering commitment to fulfil promises and obligations.  Galatians 5 lists faithfulness as one of the fruits of the Spirit. Something that needs the presence of the Holy Spirit to coexist, a divine quality.

Being busy is fine, but being busy with things that aren’t required from you is self destruction.  Wait let me ask you? What is keeping you busy these days? What’s occupying your time? Are you doing the first love things? 

Is your Christian walk linked to what people around you are doing or is it linked to what God is doing? We aren’t called to just serve God, we are called to love God. We are called to build intimacy with God. Like Mary we can discern the times to occupy the space at the feet of Jesus. Take the time to sharpen the gifts God has given us.

What Mary decided to do was unusual for a woman to do in those days. In the Jewish culture, at this time women were mainly seen for their domesticated roles. They would not normally be in the men’s court or temple during worship. So what Martha was asking Jesus to address was what you could say was a cultural disgrace in Martha’s eyes.  Her younger sister was breaking cultural protocols to quench her spiritual thirst. 

Now imagine what we would have missed if Mary had decided to ignore her thirst and carry on washing dishes because that’s what society expected of her? 

Thank God Jesus pursued me 

Happy #ThirstyThursday #QuenchMyThirst

LM

Lungie@quenchmythirst.life