Hope for all the Martha Type-A Doers in the World

Are You Really a Type-A Doer Like Martha?

Although I’d like to believe that Martha’s sister Mary and I have the most in common, I fool myself. So much so, that when I had a chance to help my friend Katie M. Reid out with launching her new book, Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done, I started reading with a superior attitude.

After all, I love to spend time each day with Jesus. Sure, I get things done, but I don’t obsess over to-do lists (mostly). But as I read, I realized that while Mary and I have a lot in common, so do Martha and I. In fact, I really resonated with Katie’s words:

When you’re used to operating under the perception that you can handle it, manage it, and produce it through your own strength and intellect, it’s easy to forget your desperate need for the Savior.”

That described me to perfection. As I read the book, I realized that I had relegated Jesus to the living room. That’s where we spend time together each morning. But when I close the covers of my journal, I jump up ready to wrangle the day in my own way. Often times leaving Jesus as I run around getting things done.

Hope for Those Who Don’t Feel Enough

The root of the Martha attitude lies in feeling as if we have something to prove.

Katie divides the book up into four parts to show the reader how to claim one’s identity in Christ. The first section—Striving—helps the reader understand some of the psychology behind those who relish to-do lists and getting things done. Our need to do things just might come from a hired-help mentality.

Each chapter ends with a little checklist and space to write down responses to what the reader learns. The author also includes Bible verses the reader can look up at the end of each chapter for further study. The end of each section has a self-assessment for readers.

The second section—Sitting—shows the reader how to grab hold of our true, beloved daughter identity. Once we leave behind the hired-help mentality, we must replace it with a new paradigm. The author points out that Jesus loves us even when we mess up (even if we mess up royally). As a beloved daughter, we can leave the stress of striving behind us.

Standing—the third section—helps the reader understand that ‘We can rest because perfection is not up to us; perfection is in us, and His name is Jesus.’ Katie dedicates the last section of the book to a study guide for group or individual study. I appreciate that she bakes everything into one book and makes it possible for readers to grab a group of friends and dive right in.

I challenge you to grab a copy and discover for yourself whether you’re a Mary or a Martha, or a combination of both. All of us have much to learn about ourselves from studying how Martha and Mary interacted with Jesus.