The Martha Syndrome: When Productivity Replaces Presence

There are days when my to-do list feels louder than God’s voice.

I wake up already thinking about what needs to be done: work, ministry, deadlines, responsibilities, expectations. None of these things are bad. In fact, most of them are good. But somewhere between being productive and being present, my heart starts to feel heavy. Anxious. Distracted.

Then I read this passage, and it stops me in my tracks:

“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 (NIV)

It feels personal every time.

Martha Wasn’t Lazy….. She Was Overloaded

Martha wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was serving Jesus. She was being hospitable. She was showing up the way she knew how.

Yet Jesus names what was happening beneath the surface: worry and upset about many things.

How often do we look put-together on the outside but feel overwhelmed on the inside?

Like Martha, we can be busy doing things for God while slowly drifting away from being with God. Our hands are full, but our hearts are tired.

When Worry Becomes the Loudest Voice

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Martha for serving, He gently redirects her focus.

“You are worried about many things.”

Worry has a way of multiplying. One concern turns into ten. One responsibility becomes pressure. Before we know it, we are carrying things Jesus never asked us to hold.

Worry convinces us that everything is urgent.

Jesus reminds us that only one thing is necessary.

Mary Chose the Better Part

Mary sat at Jesus’ feet.

She didn’t rush. She didn’t explain herself. She simply chose presence over performance.

Jesus calls her choice better, not because service is unimportant, but because intimacy comes first. From that place, everything else flows.

What Mary gained could not be taken away from her. Time with Jesus always leaves a lasting imprint.

A Personal Check-In

This passage forces me to ask myself hard questions:

• Am I doing too much and listening too little?

• Have I allowed productivity to replace presence?

• What am I worried about that Jesus never asked me to carry?

There are seasons when I realize I’ve been moving fast but praying slowly. Serving hard but resting little. Saying yes to many things while neglecting the one thing that truly grounds me.

And in His kindness, Jesus calls my name too, not in frustration, but in love.

Choosing the One Thing Today

Choosing “the better part” doesn’t mean quitting responsibilities. It means reordering priorities.

It may look like:

• Sitting in silence with God before checking your phone

• Laying down the pressure to please everyone

• Trusting that rest is not laziness, but obedience

• Bringing your worries honestly before the Lord instead of carrying them alone

Few things are needed. Indeed, only one.

A Prayer

Lord,

I bring You my worries, my distractions, and the many things pulling at my attention.

Help me to choose what is better.

Teach me to sit at Your feet, to listen, and to rest in Your presence.

Quiet my anxious heart and remind me that You are enough.

Amen.

Reflection Question:

What is worrying you today and what would it look like to place it at Jesus’ feet?