BIG HARE, BIG FAITH: Be at home with Jesus

Have you ever really thought about your daily habits of what you do when you go home? Or what about when you first arrive on vacation? 

When I get home there are a few things I always, always do. I kick my shoes off, put my bags down from work in my office, change into comfy clothes, pull my hair back, let my dog out, and then I go to my favorite seat in my house and plop down. There is a sigh of relief and peace that happens when you get to sit down for the first time. 

Being at home is so much more than a location. Being at home or at rest is where you can be at ease, let your guard down, no agendas, released from work or school responsibilities, exhale, no show, and no entertaining the masses. When you go home or get that rest you have the opportunity to be fed, nourished, get clean, and truly rest.

When you have people come to visit there is a sense of added stress. Even if it is a friend, you are trying to make sure they have what they need to feel at home just like you do.

In Luke 10, we see Jesus welcomed into the home of a woman named Martha. Martha was busy, busy, busy, making sandwiches. It doesn’t actually say sandwiches, but it does say that she was distracted making preparations. Meanwhile, Martha’s sister, Mary, is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him talk. When he was asked about this, his response in Luke 10:41-42 is, “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.”

Martha made a home for Jesus’ presence, but Mary was at home in His presence. It is so easy to make a life that entertains the thought of welcoming Jesus into it. However, He just wants us to feel at home in His presence. In the same way we plop down on the couch at the end of a tough day, He desires for us to choose what is better — to be at home in His presence.

Caroline Hare is youth pastor at Shoreline Church. She can be reached at caroline@shorelinechurch.net.