38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 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 10:38-42)
Like the Discipline of Spiritual Warfare, the Discipline of Counsel is not mentioned as often as other Disciplines. It is well worth considering though. Just consider how poorly most of us handle receiving feedback or how disinclined we are to humble ourselves to learn from others. The story of Mary and Martha is a classic story that speaks to the Discipline of Counsel.
Please carefully read the passage above and answer the questions below.
Today’s Questions:
- Jesus commends Mary for choosing “what is better”. What attitudes from Mary can we adopt to better practice the Discipline of Counsel?
- Do you have people in your life that you allow to provide you with the kind of counsel that Martha received from Jesus?