WE DON’T NEED NO DRAMA
WE DON’T NEED NO DRAMA
Have you ever wondered how you would receive Jesus if He announced that He was coming to your house?
Would you tidy up?
Bring out the best china?
Arrange the cushions?
Make sure everything was just perfect?
After all, this is Jesus coming to visit.
There is a familiar story in the Bible about two sisters who actually had that privilege.
Jesus came to the home of Martha and Mary.
Martha immediately got busy.
The Bible says:
“But Martha was cumbered about much serving…” Luke 10:40 KJV
There was work to be done.
There was a Guest to be looked after.
Things had to be prepared.
Mary, on the other hand, simply sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him.
Eventually, Martha became frustrated. There she was, doing all the work while her sister was sitting pretty listening to gist!
She complained to Jesus, and His response was interesting:
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful…” Luke 10:41–42 KJV
Now, I don’t think Martha was wrong for wanting to serve Jesus. Serving is a beautiful thing. But how do we bring Jesus into our space?
Do we feel that everything has to be just right first?
Do we think we need to present the best version of ourselves?
Do we tidy certain things away, arrange others carefully and then say, “Okay, Lord. You can come in now”?
We live in a world where we have become very good at packaging and presentation.
Social media has made experts of us.
We know how to find the right angle.
We know which part of the room to photograph.
We know how to move the clutter outside the frame.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting things to look beautiful.
But sometimes, without even realising it, we can extend that same mindset into our relationship with God.
We start curating ourselves for Jesus.
But can we actually hide anything from Jesus?
He sees outside the frame.
He knows about the clutter we moved to the other side of the room.
He knows about the fear underneath the smile.
He knows about the questions we are almost afraid to ask.
He knows about the disappointment we haven’t told anybody about.
He knows about the anger.
The anxiety.
The mistakes.
The uncertainty.
The things we are still trying to work through.
He knows absolutely everything.
So why the performance?
David understood this when he wrote:
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.” Psalm 139:1 KJV
And a few verses later:
“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” Psalm 139:4 KJV
Before we explain ourselves, Jesus already knows.
Before we find the right words, He knows.
Before we straighten the room, He knows what was there.
We don’t have to impress the One who already knows and sees us as we really are.
We don’t have to manufacture an atmosphere before we come into His presence.
We don’t have to wait until our faith sounds stronger, our prayers sound better or our lives look more presentable.
We can simply come in the mess and with the mess.
Perhaps that is part of what Mary understood.
Jesus was in the house.
And rather than becoming consumed with everything that could be done for Him, she chose to be with Him. Doing things for Jesus and spending time with Him are not the same thing
Sometimes we can become so occupied with doing things for God that we forget that He also wants our company.
Our attention.
Our honesty.
Our hearts.
Dear friend, bring Jesus into your real space, not just the carefully curated one.
Bring Him into the questions.
Bring Him into the disappointment.
Bring Him into the confusion.
Bring Him into the ordinary.
Bring Him into the room exactly as it is.
There will be time for rearranging.
He will actually help us do that.
And if something needs changing, He is more than able to help us change it.
So today, pull up a chair.
Sit at His feet.
And just be with Him.
No filters.
No carefully curated atmosphere.
No performance because with Him…
WE DON’T NEED NO DRAMA.
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©