Question to consider this week: Are you being a good neighbor to those in your closest circle (i.e. family members, friends, “framily”, roommates)?
“Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’ ” (Luke 10:38-42, NRSV)
The “J” in the J.O.Y Rule stands for “Jesus,” the “O” for “others,” and the “Y” for “yourself.” The J.O.Y. Rule is meant to be a fun way to remember how to prioritize the people in your life; Jesus first, others second, and yourself third. Neighboring well to those in our closest circle requires that we first spend time with Jesus.
In the story above, Martha had the J.O.Y. Rule backwards; she was too absorbed in her own agenda and tasks to realize what was really the most important thing, and Martha even tried dragging Mary away from the top priority, leaving Jesus as Martha’s last priority.
Can you imagine what it would be like to have Jesus physically present in your home? Do you grow irritated with Martha in this story for missing the mark all the while placing yourself in Mary’s shoes? I find myself wanting to wave my hands in the air at Martha while shouting, “Please take advantage of Jesus the Christ being physically in your home!!!,” but then I have to stop and think about how often I actually choose to (metaphorically) sit at the feet of Jesus in my day to day life. The truth is, I am Martha more times than I am Mary, choosing menial tasks over growth in faith. Inevitably the menial tasks also get prioritized over those who are closest to me, and I then am not neighboring well.
Being present with Jesus will allow us to focus on the more important things in our lives. Those who are in our immediate circle are who we have the opportunity be a neighbor to most often, so it is crucial that we do it well in order to help the relationships flourish!
Prayer:
Jesus, our gentle and wise teacher--forgive us for not having our priorities in the right order. In your time on earth you always prioritized your relationship with God over anything else. You were so busy - hundreds of people wanted your attention - and yet you still made time to go be alone in prayer. May our busyness not be an excuse; instead, may we make the time to find rest in your presence each and every day. Amen.
Written By: Jenny Spidell