How to Worship Like Mary When You Need to Work Like Martha

Between managing work and school, taking kids to after-school commitments, and keeping up with the laundry and dishes, it can feel like we’re always going, going, going. It can be so easy to lose ourselves in the busyness of it all, just like Martha did in Luke 10:38-41. God wants more for our families.

Have you ever slowed down long enough to ask: “Is there a way to learn from Jesus and still get work done?” (That laundry isn’t going to fold itself, right?!) In your family, try these 5 ways to sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary but still manage the work of modern living.

Prioritize God First

Your family is busy. Of course, you are! We all are. It’s the struggle of our modern, Western world. At our pace, it’s easy to feel like there’s never enough time for everything—let alone for spending time with God as a family. With our endless list of to-dos, the only time for Him involves waking up at 4 am. (I don’t know about your family, but my kids don’t want to wake up that early to pray.)

In the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-41), Martha often gets pitted against Mary. Mary is right, and Martha is wrong. But their story is more nuanced than that, and so is ours–so is yours! We can’t spend every moment literally sitting at the feet of Jesus with our Bibles open. But be encouraged. Even Martha recognized the importance of learning from Jesus. She was the one who opened up her home to Him, not Mary. So opening up your home to Him is a healthy start!

But Martha became so focused on “doing” for Him that she neglected “being” with Him. She put her work before Him. In the busyness of family life, it’s easy for us to do that, too!

When Martha became distracted by her tasks, Jesus gently reminded her that the most important thing she could do was take in His presence. The same goes for your family. When you prioritize God first, everything else falls into its proper place.

Practical ideas for your family:

● Put on worship music in the kitchen as your family grabs breakfast.
● Start a family text and send an encouraging scripture or a prayer at the start of the day.
● When you tuck the kids in bed on Sunday night, look back on the week and share moments of gratitude. This routine sets everyone’s hearts and minds on God’s proven provision and goodness.
● Listen to the Bible or a Christian podcast on the way to work or school.

Finding these pockets of time to prioritize God first can shift your family’s perspective.

Be Present with Your Family

Martha’s focus on serving the people in her home shows her commitment to being present for others. Even though she was busy, she was also attentive to her guests and their needs. Jesus calls us to be present—not just with Him but also with the people He’s placed in our lives. He models that throughout His ministry on earth. Being present with Jesus first, though, like Mary, allows us to approach others from a place of restoration and alignment with God.

God helps us focus on what matters most. When we take the time to put aside distractions and truly focus on being present, we’re creating space for deeper connection, both with our family and with God.

Practical ideas for your family:
● Set boundaries with your time and attention. – Put the phone away during dinner. Take time to listen about each other’s day.
● Practice choosing to be present. – Learning how to stop multitasking takes practice. Give yourself some grace as you practice slowing down your thinking and focusing on the relationship (and needs) right before you.

Balance Service and Rest

God created us to work and rest, but He made only one of those holy. Many of us find balancing work and rest nearly impossible to achieve. We often feel the pressure to keep serving our families, just like Martha did, without realizing how much we need moments of rest. Thankfully, He is whispering these words of invitation from Luke 10:41-42 to us, too: “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.”

Jesus took time away from the crowds to pray and recharge. His work never went away, even when He stepped away from it. And guess what? The world didn’t fall apart when He went away to pray. He knew He needed His Father to finish the work He was called to do. And so do you. When you show your kids the importance of balancing work and rest, they also learn how to do it.

Practical ideas for your family:

● Practice “No” Without Guilt – Encourage each family member to recognize when they need to rest and teach them it’s okay to say “no” to something if they’re feeling overwhelmed.
● Encourage Personal Quiet Time – Encourage each family member to have personal quiet time with God through prayer, Bible reading, worship music, or going for a walk.

Model Both Martha’s Work Ethic and Mary’s Heart of Worship

Martha’s dedication to serving was essential, but Mary’s choice to sit at Jesus’ feet in worship showed the deeper priority. As Christian families, we can aim to embody both—serving diligently in our homes and communities while maintaining a heart that seeks God above all else. It’s not an either-or situation. Jesus values both service and worship, but He reminds us through Mary that worship, our connection with Him, should never be sacrificed in the name of busyness.

Practical ideas for your family:

● Pray During Work – Invite God into every aspect of your work. Whether you’re folding laundry, doing homework, or running errands, these moments can be acts of service for your family and be a reflection of serving Him.
● Memorize scripture – As a family, commit to memory verses reflecting work as an act of worship. For example, Colossians 3:23-24, Genesis 2:15, or Psalm 90:17.

Give it Time

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and developing a rhythm that includes Martha’s work ethic and Mary’s heart of worship takes practice, patience, and grace. Scripture shows how Martha grew in her understanding of Jesus. Initially, she was distracted and worried by her many tasks (Luke 10), but later, in John 11, Martha demonstrates deeper faith. When her brother Lazarus died, Martha expressed confidence in Jesus, saying, “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:22). Her faith had matured.

Martha’s spiritual growth shows us that learning to balance work and worship takes time and that through continual reliance on Christ, we, too, can develop both a servant’s heart and a deep faith.

Practical ideas for your family:

● Start small. – If it feels like too much to carve out big blocks of time for prayer or worship, start with 10 minutes.
● Give yourself grace. – Things won’t go perfectly. But, over time, these small acts of devotion and service will begin to transform the atmosphere of your home and the heart of your family.