How to Develop a Critical Spirit

"Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me."
In this question, we can sense the empty way in which ministry is being done.  Martha is tired and her focus has switched from joyful service to drudgery.  When we are empty, or burned-out in ministry, we do damage to the relationships around us.  Watch what happens:

• From Emptiness to Burden- Any other day, Martha loved hospitality.  Today, ministry has gone south.  Joy has been replaced by drudgery.
• From Burden to Loneliness- As Martha looks around, she feels alienated and lonely.  Only she is doing the work.  Others enjoy the fellowship with Christ and she would love to be sitting there too.  Her circumstances are different.  She's scrubbing pots.  Is she the only one who can see the essential nature of her work?
• From Loneliness to the Criticism of Others-  Joyless service has caused her to resent her sister.  Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet listening.  She too is hosting.  There is work to be done and time is short.  Why isn't she helping? 
• From Criticism of Others to the Criticism of Christ- The emptiness, the loneliness, the overwhelming nature of ministry, the lack of help in the task, lead Martha to question the care of her Savior.  Surely, if he knows all things, he can see her distress.  He knows the work she is doing alone.  Doesn't He care?  If He cared, He would DO something.  Right?

When she issues the invitation, she had no intention to become critical.  She wanted to serve, it was her joy to serve.  It was how she viewed ministry when she felt empty and burdened that was the issue.  It was time to examine motives and refocus, time to sit at Jesus' feet again.  Dinner can wait.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

"Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me."

Martha and her family played a significant role in the ministry of Christ.  When Christ said, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head," it was quite literally true.  He and his disciples depended on the generosity of others to support their itinerant ministry.  It was Martha who extended the invitation and it is no small task to feed a group of hungry men.
To extend such hospitality meant a willingness to sacrifice both time and resources.  It would have been an amazing opportunity to be one of those believers who supported Christ's work.  Imagine:  Providing dinner tonight meant you had an investment in the parable spoken tomorrow.  Providing a place to sleep could lead to an investment in healing tomorrow.  Who knew what eternal profit would await?
Martha was the one who saw the possibilities.  She does not serve to be seen and acknowledged by others.  We see nothing of self-promotion in her invitation or her service.  She wishes to render hospitality to Christ because she and her family have come to love Him.
Like Martha, on my best days I count it a privilege to share in the ministry of Christ.  To serve Him and to serve His people is an unmistakeable privilege.  It is an eternal investment.  If I can keep my eye on the ball, if I can keep my focus on my real priorities, then I will do them with joy.  It is when I am weary, when I am empty, that the trouble begins.  It is emptiness that prompts her question to Jesus.  You can hear it in her voice. Whenever I hear this voice in my head, it's time to re-evaluate.  I must recapture the wonder of serving Christ or I will do damage to His cause.