Are you a doer—one who loves to check things off her daily to-accomplish list? Are your desire to be productive and your confident, capable ways often subtly (or even overtly) slammed by others, making you feel less spiritual than your laid-back, easygoing friends? Made Like Martha will infuse your life with a fresh perspective as you learn to embrace your God-given personality and also discover how—and when—to rest and retreat.”
—Karen Ehman, Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, New York Times best-selling author of Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All, wife, and mother of three
“Made Like Martha is the gospel for go-getters. Within these pages, Reid silences the voices that push, ‘Do more. Be more. Achieve more.’ Those persistent taunts are covered by the glorious blanket of God’s lavish grace and unconditional love. Allow yourself to be wrapped in the reminder that you are enough because He is enough. If you’ve ever been tempted to think that your worth is affected by your work, this book is for you. Made Like Martha is an open invitation to rest secure in your identity as a beloved daughter of God because of what Christ has already done.”
—Kate Motaung, author of A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging
“Finally! A permission-giving read for us go-getters to live out who we are created to be without shame. Made Like Martha is my new go-to gift for leaders, hard workers, and passionate women who long to listen to God’s voice and know peace when they’re tempted to hustle. Katie shares from a space of wisdom, grace, and authentic humility; a beautiful reminder that God isn’t out to change us but simply to love us. Marthas included.”
—Bekah Jane Pogue, author of Choosing Real: An Invitation to Celebrate When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned, national speaker, writing and speaking coach, and soul care provider at BekahPogue.com
“For those who long to get off the merry-go-round of striving, Katie’s words are a welcome invitation to let go of trying harder and instead rest in your identity as a beloved daughter.”
—Holley Gerth, best-selling author of You’re Already Amazing
“Doers can finally breathe a sigh of relief and find rest in who God created them to be. Katie’s words bring freedom to stop striving and start thriving as His beloved daughter.”
—Erin H. Warren, women’s ministry director at First Baptist Orlando
“As the firstborn in a family of six preacher’s kids, I have always identified with Martha. Somebody has to be in charge of food preparation, cleanup, and the agenda when a group of friends or relatives gathers in my home! In Made Like Martha, Katie Reid knocks the ball out of the park as she reveals how much God loves doers and longs for them to find their identity in Him while they live out their calling and purpose. Read it for yourself first and then gather a group of women together and go through the Bible study. How do I describe this book? Honest. Powerful. Humorous. Deep. Encouraging. Inspiring. Applicable. Don’t miss it!”
—Carol Kent, speaker and author of He Holds My Hand: Experiencing God’s Presence and Protection
“Katie will take you and your weary Martha-self on a journey to abundant freedom. If you are a doer, do yourself a favor and read this book. And all the Marthas sing ‘hallelujah!’”
—Jami Amerine, author of Stolen Jesus: An Unconventional Search for the Real Savior
“Martha tends to get a bad rap, but God loves the Marthas of the world—the doers, the get-it-done-whatever-the-cost girls. He loves us in spite of our striving and doing. Katie M. Reid, in her wonderful new book, Made Like Martha, reminds us we are worth so much more to God than we could ever imagine, so much more than any task we can ever do for Him. Katie beautifully illustrates ways we can learn to serve others from a place of strength, not striving, a place of worship, not worry. Katie shares so much wisdom and practical application (plus a fantastic bonus Bible study) that if you identify more as Martha than Mary, you will rejoice in learning how to stay calm in the chaos, how to find a balance between striving and slowing down, and how to finally rejoice in the woman God created you to be.”
—Kate Battistelli, author of Growing Great Kids: Partner with God to Cultivate His Purpose in Your Child’s Life and mother of Grammy Award–winning artist Francesca Battistelli
“If you’ve ever wondered if you were ‘too much’ or known a faint awareness that you can overwhelm people with your energy, enthusiasm, and ability to do all things, Made Like Martha is for you. Katie combines poignant storytelling and powerful Scripture teaching into an invitation for us to lay aside our personal expectations and to-do lists and embrace the call of Christ—not to do, but to be. By sharing her journey of finding contentment in her personality and courage to live in God’s purpose, Katie challenges, inspires, and encourages all women to embrace their own personalities and purpose.”
—Teri Lynne Underwood, author of Praying for Girls: Asking God for the Things They Need Most
“‘Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I’m made like Martha.’ At last I can say those words with my chin held high, knowing Jesus loves me as much as He loves all the Marys in the world. This book was just what my Martha-heart needed. I felt affirmed in who I am and learned how to find peace and rest in the midst of my busy life.”
—Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of The Happiness Dare and Love Idol
“There are some women in my life who just don’t stop. Made like Martha, they are always on the go. They strive and are often left physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. For years, I have struggled to find words to encourage these dear friends. As it turns out, I was just waiting for Katie Reid to finish writing this book. In a world that often praises Mary for pausing to spend time with the Lord, Katie shares the Father’s heart for the women He made to be like Martha. This long-awaited resource full of practical encouragement will bring freedom and rest to all who read it.”
—Becky Thompson, best-selling author of Love Unending and Hope Unfolding
“For most of my life my ‘Martha-ness’ cast a shadow of perfectionism and a need to control over every situation. The striving, working, and doing left little room for grace for myself or those around me. Like Katie, I had to come to the realization that my God-given gifts and tendencies would actually only be able to effectively glorify and honor Him if I let go of my desire to micromanage. Made Like Martha takes you on a gentle, truth-filled journey to the freedom you perhaps don’t even realize your soul is craving. And it’s there, in that freedom where giftings and grace beautifully collide, that we become women who can serve from a place of peace rather than perfection.”
—Vanessa Hunt, coauthor of Life in Season: Celebrate the Moments That Fill Your Heart and Home and founder of AtThePicketFence.com
“When you’re exhausted from the try-hard, dizzy-busy life of striving to accomplish it all, while attempting to do it better than before, Made Like Martha’s message of hope, truth, and freedom is the rest you need. Katie’s deep and practical insight into the tension surrounding Martha’s personality gives every woman permission to celebrate exactly who and how God made her to be—doer and all.”
—Jen Schmidt, blogger behind Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, author of Just Open the Door, and host of the Becoming Conference
“I’m a doer. Maybe you are too. I work hard, love to check off my to-do list, and enjoy feeling accomplished. At least I did until I was diagnosed with a serious illness. My new limitations caused me to question my value and purpose. In Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done, Katie M. Reid helped me recalibrate and find strength in service and peace, even when busy and weak. She speaks to the deepest places of fear and fatigue that often chase after first responders, primary care givers, and those who love to take charge and leads us to give up a lifestyle of striving while embracing a new way of living—settled, even when busy. If you ever had a secret sympathy for Martha, you will love this book, and you will love Katie. Prepare to be encouraged.”
—Jan Greenwood, Equip pastor at Gateway Church and author of Women at War
“What a beautiful invitation to leave the try-hard life behind and just belong to Jesus! This Martha is grateful.”
—Joanna Weaver, author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
“As a lifelong overachiever, I’ve been called (by others but also by myself) bossy, type A, a perfectionist, and more. Reading Made Like Martha was the first time I felt as though someone acknowledged those parts of my personality as something good and then reminded me that I’m also called beloved. This book offers a ‘me too’ hug from a fellow doer who knows that we are exactly the way God created us to be, as well as the relief of letting go of the burden to get it all done and get it all right. With gentle confidence Katie Reid speaks from her own experience, and it’s almost as if she’s taken a look inside my journal and at my to-do list as well. She points readers to the truth and real-life implications of Jesus’s genuine affection for Martha and those of us made like her.”
—Mary Carver, blogger and coauthor of Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts
“I want to sit at Jesus’s feet just like Mary did, but the reality is I’m a hardworking woman more like Martha. Is it possible to thrive with a to-do list in our hands and a prayer in our hearts? In Made Like Martha, Katie M. Reid tells us how. For the dependable woman who feels as if it’s all up to her, this is a message of hope. For the overwhelmed woman attempting to do it all, this is an invitation to freedom. For the discouraged woman who feels as though she’s not enough, this is an anthem of grace.”
—Wendy Speake, coauthor of Triggers, Parenting Scripts, and Life Creative
Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done
Narrated by Katie M. Reid
Katie M. ReidUnabridged — 5 hours, 33 minutes
Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done
Narrated by Katie M. Reid
Katie M. ReidUnabridged — 5 hours, 33 minutes
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Overview
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170314553 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | EChristian, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 07/10/2018 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 952,643 |
Read an Excerpt
Chapter 1: The Big To-Do
I am a Martha fan. A lot has been said, written, and broadcast about dear Martha and her sister, Mary, based on their story in Luke 10. But Martha often gets a bad rap. While I’m not here to rehash what’s already been discussed, I do want to address the misconception that there is something wrong with being like her. After all, Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. Some versions of the Bible say she “opened her home to him” (verse 38, NIV) or “received him into her house” (KJV).
Welcomed. Opened. Received. These words paint a bright picture of hospitality. Martha was probably a mint-on-the-pillow type of hostess. A take-charge woman who accomplished tasks in a timely manner, she was probably the type of gal who managed a myriad of details. She wasn’t idle or lazy and likely spent her days in a flurry of activity. When I read about biblical Martha, I envision her as strong and savvy—a to-do list kind of woman.
Responsible. Check.
Capable. Check.
Willing. Check.
Most of the time I am that way too. And being a woman who handles it all takes its toll. In the mirror I see a modern Martha who finds herself frustrated because she’s not wired like biblical Martha’s sister. You know, Mary—the sister who chose what was “better” (verse 42, NIV), the “necessary” thing (NASB), the “one thing” (NASB), the “good part” (NASB)? I try to unzip my design as a doer and shed the skin of efficiency because I interpret the passage in Luke to mean that Mary is the poster child for getting it right. Since I spend most of my days bustling instead of sitting at Jesus’s feet, I feel as if something is inherently wrong with me. Mary is right. Martha is wrong. Good Mary. Bad Martha.
Mary’s temperament seems approved. Martha’s temperament seems discounted. And because I identify with and live like Martha the doer, I feel wrong—or at least not quite right. I like approval, so you can imagine the tug-of-war that transpires within my soul as I grapple with the Mary ideal versus the Martha reality. But the tension goes further and deeper than that.
Although the lie—that love will be withheld or removed if I don’t get “it” right—is buried, I buy into it. (Insert your own “it” here: appearance, job, pants size, housework, marriage, parenting, friendships, and so on.) While getting all these “its” right is important to me, getting faith right is the driving force behind try-hard living. Because daily quiet time, praying without ceasing, and being still are not working out so well, I feel as though my wiring is flawed. I assume that love is limited because I don’t measure up.
My friend Brandi shares similar thinking. While recently chaperoning a field trip at a local bounce house, we wasted no time jumping into deep conversation as our kids raced around the inflatable jungle gym. Brandi said that she grew up knowing she needed a Savior, but the idea that God loved her and thought she was special sounded crazy. It seemed to her that His fond affection was reserved for those who were more talented, more beautiful, or more holy. She was convinced God’s eye did not fall on her as He scanned the great big earth He created. His loving gaze smiled on the missionaries and the pastors and everyone else “doing it right” but not on her—the one who felt like a hot mess and seemed doomed to repeat mistakes.
Brandi also mentioned that several years ago on a particularly heart-wrenching day, she poured out these thoughts to someone she trusted. Despite this woman’s assurance that, yes, God did see her and love her, Brandi still struggled to believe it. As Brandi left her meeting with this woman, she went to a drive-through to buy some chili for lunch. As she waited to pay, she checked her appearance in the mirror. Her blotchy face reflected her broken heart. Her bloodshot eyes reflected her broken spirit. She put on sunglasses to mask her hurt. As she reached out to pay for her meal, the woman at the window stopped her. “The person ahead of you paid for your food. She asked me to give you a message: ‘God loves you.’”
These were the words Brandi desperately wanted to believe. God provided the spiritual food she hungered for. Jesus loved her. She didn’t have to improve herself, go into ministry, or alter her temperament to be adored by the One who made her and saved her. In the middle of a taxing day, in the simplest of ways, God assured Brandi of her position in His heart.
Before her drive-through encounter, Brandi felt she had to be more or be someone else to be deemed worthy of God’s affections. And I wonder whether Martha felt the same way.
Did Martha try to prove her worth through exemplary behavior? Look at what I can do! See all I can manage? My shoulders ache, my tone is edgy, but by golly, I get things done.
That’s how I feel sometimes—actually, many times. My tense posture is a response to external and internal expectations to do more, be more, and look good doing it. Inferiority and superiority duke it out in an ugly feud that leaves me weary and bruised.
Frustrated. Check.
Stressed. Check.
Overwhelmed. Check.
Striving, driving, and producing become the fuel to earn love and stay in good standing with the Savior. My good works become a means to obtaining favor, and I’m afraid they’re not good enough. And neither am I. It feels as though my approval is based on how well I perform, and I fear rejection if that performance is subpar.
I cringe at the thought of one of my less-than-stellar days being documented for all to read, analyze, and criticize as Martha’s has been throughout the years.
Jesus corrects Martha because she is worried and bothered about many things. When I read the account of Jesus coming to Mary and Martha’s home in Luke 10, I usually hear verses 41 and 42 as a scolding from the Lord: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” I read between the lines, “You’re not enough. You need to improve to be accepted. You need to try harder to be loved. Do better, be better, Martha.”
As I said in a guest post on a blog,
I am hard on myself. I constantly critique, over-analyze, and expect more of myself than is humanly possible. I work hard to stay on top of things…so that I…stay above disapproving gazes.
I strive to be the best woman, the best wife, the best mom, the best friend, and I miss the mark again and again.
Since I walk on a high tightrope of unreasonable expectations, I am positioned to topple at the smallest criticism.
The kids disobey. I slip.
The laundry isn’t put away—ever. I trip.
The book proposal is rejected. I limp.
I fall from the heights and land hard.
My worth gets tangled up in my works, so I walk with a spiritual limp. And because I hold myself to the Mary Poppins standard of being “practically perfect in every way,” I am often discouraged. I’m worn out from trying to be everything to everyone and fed up with messing up. Capable is my middle name, yet if I’m honest, I’m a few yes's away from falling apart.
The bustle causes shallow breathing. The hustle produces a preoccupation with self. The scurry gives birth to stress. The hurry makes my body ache. Words lash out. All this pushing tires my soul. The proving steals peace. The multitasking overwhelms. The merry-go-round of striving leaves my head spinning and stomach churning. The kids need me, the husband wants me, work is waiting, dinner needs a plan, the bills need paying, the house needs dusting—wait, I don’t dust or iron (please, no judging). Something’s gotta give! I want to be enough, yet I’ve had enough of this dizzying ride. There must be another way, a better way, off this Ferris wheel of fret.
I can’t bear another lecture or scolding.
I’m tired. And the sleep isn’t as sweet when I try to carry the world on my shoulders, which ache as my thoughts swirl overhead like a tornado.
His Side
When our kids have bad dreams, they race down the hallway, feet pattering from wood floor to blue shag, as they seek comfort at our bedside. Although I sleep closer to the door, they usually go to my husband’s side of the bed. Sleep deprivation is not my friend, and if I am woken up at night, Mean Lady emerges. I have an edge and impatience to my voice. I don’t intend to be this way, but a sharp-tongued beast surfaces when provoked.
The other day I told Adam, “The kids need to stop coming in and waking us up! We need to get a full night’s sleep.”
I anticipated he’d agree, but he said, “We’re their parents, and it’s our job to comfort them when they need it.” Even if it’s the middle of the night. Even if it’s inconvenient.
Conviction.
Then it came flooding back—the time our son Banner came to my side and I pretended to be asleep so he’d go to Adam’s side instead. He was about five years old at the time. In the dark I saw his round face staring at me, seeing whether I was awake. I closed my eyes and stayed quiet, hoping he’d go back to bed.
In the morning I asked Banner why he’d gotten up.
“I just wanted to give you and Dad a hug and tell you I love you.”
Adam had received his hug, but I had missed mine.
Conviction.
The Lord used this incident to teach me something—not to condemn me but to graciously reveal a truth about His character that I forget. Often I feel as if God is mad or disappointed because I haven’t been good enough or haven’t done enough. I assume that He wants to interrupt my well-oiled agenda and have me do something else, something more. Yet, like Banner, He impressed this on me: What if I just want to tell you I love you? What if I want to wake you and tell you how crazy I am about you? You assume the worst, but what if I just want to spend time with you and remind you of My love?
Revelation. What if God wasn’t asking me to be Mary but instead loved me for being Martha?
It is interesting that Banner is the one whom God used to reveal this—the son whose name is a continual reminder of this very idea. “He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love” (Song of Solomon 2:4, NASB).
Jesus sings love over us, whether we are standing, sitting, or sleeping. Like a banner, He displays His affection. He invites us to unwind in His presence and relax in His care. Although we need sleep, we can experience spiritual rest even when we are awake, even while we are working.
For years I’ve felt guilty for being task oriented. I scold myself for being a doer and then try to improve myself in five easy steps. The thing is, not only are the steps difficult, but they are pretty near impossible. I didn’t choose to be a doer; I was designed to be one. This temperament—this nature—is here to stay. It’s not to be erased but rather to be celebrated and used for God’s glory. Just because we are designed to do doesn’t mean we are inferior or superior to Mary types.
There is nothing wrong with being like Martha or Mary. Both are created by and loved by God. Praise Jesus for both kinds of women! I enjoy my Mary friends. They help me slow down and stay focused on what is truly important when my to-do list threatens to derail my joy. However, I’m equally thankful for my Martha friends. They are my go-to gals for getting things done. One of these friends recently came over and cleaned my fridge until it shone like the top of the Chrysler Building. Glory!
Dangerous Additives
Way back in the Garden of Eden, Satan caused doubt to ring in the ears of sister Eve when he questioned and twisted what God had lovingly instructed about not eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 3:1–3). With his words Satan crafted a picture of a God who was holding out on His daughter. Eve also added to what God said (by telling the serpent that the fruit couldn’t even be touched), kind of like the Judaizers of Jesus’s day, who added extra rules to the rules (which bred pride and rebellion).
Satan has done similar things with doers like us. He has exploited this familiar passage about Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42 to convince God’s doer daughters that our wiring is flawed, causing us to doubt we are wonderfully made. The accuser of our souls has spun these five verses in Scripture to imply that we are not fully loved or acceptable unless we become someone else, someone more. We have bought into the lie that we are supposed to improve on this God-given design because it isn’t as adored as Mary’s is. But this is not true!
Jesus never asked Martha to be Mary, and He didn’t ask you to be either. He simply pointed out that you do not have to serve from a place of striving and worry, because He is already enough for you. He is not holding out on you. We have added words to what Jesus said and have compromised parts of who He created us to be in the process. Enough is enough! Pointing out one behavior to improve on is not the same as criticizing the totality of who you are. Let’s stop agreeing with the serpent and others who echo his slippery sentiments.
Let’s not view this passage in Luke as condemnation but as an invitation to freedom. Let’s stand together, confident in who we are and who we belong to. Our doing isn’t the problem. But our motivation for doing is where things get messy. And we aren’t a fan of messes, are we?
Jesus lovingly reminds us of the importance of receiving, not just doing. He invites us to breathe deeply with the lungs He’s laced together.
So let’s pause. Here at the beginning, let’s take a deep, cleansing breath—the in-through-the-top-of-our-heads-and-out-through-the-bottom-of-our-toes kind.
When was the last time you received the love of the Lord, no strings attached, without condition? Rest for a moment, right here amid the mess. Tune in to guilt-free grace, singing a lullaby to your hardworking heart.
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