You’ve probably heard of “Task” vs. “People” oriented personalities. Do you love lists? Are you focused on productivity and accomplishments? If so, you probably fall on the “task” side of this spectrum. Welcome to the club! There’s nothing better than checking tasks off one by one! But in our focus to be efficient and get a lot of things done, we may be missing out on the most crucial task of all.
In Luke 10:38-41, we find the familiar story of Mary and Martha, two sisters who, along with their brother Lazarus, were close friends of Jesus. I sometimes feel like Martha gets a bad rap in this story- like the things she was focused on weren’t important or necessary. I don’t think that’s the case. Jesus and the other guests in her home were hungry, and someone needed to prepare the meal! However, Jesus points out that in this scenario, Mary’s choice to sit at His feet, to spend time with Him, and give Him her full attention, was the better choice.
There are strengths and weaknesses with both personality bents, and understanding where we fall on the spectrum can help us capitalize on our strengths and mitigate weaknesses. Those who are more people-oriented are great at building relationships and community, which are vital to a healthy, functioning body of Christ. On the other hand, they may struggle with managing chores and responsibilities. Those who are more task-oriented may be so wrapped up in “doing things for the Lord” that we come across as rough around the edges to our church family. Those we serve with may have the impression that we care far more about what they do, than who they are. We might also neglect spending time with God, building our relationship with Him, which, as Jesus pointed out, is the MOST important thing.
So, my task-oriented friends, take a page from Mary’s book and put loving God and loving people at the top of your to-do list. What this looks like may vary from day to day, but we know that we can never go wrong when we make these two things our top priority!