Martha Syndrome

The Martha Syndrome has been invented by people who think that the Bible contains the truth and nothing but the truth. To them the Martha Syndrome has two diagnostic features - the need to be continually busy and anxiety about getting everything done[1].

In the story of Martha and Mary we are reminded to get our priorities right. Jesus gently corrected Martha for her anxious concern over the practical, physical things of life, whereas Mary was content to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what he was saying.

Jesus himself took time out from the demands of his ministry, to draw aside to be with God and to encourage his disciples to do the same. We need to ensure that we make time to just ‘be’, to sit with God and hear what he has to say to us, to hear things we cannot hear if we are always ‘doing’.

It is probably needless to mention that there never has been a scientific study featuring this syndrome. I'm not sure if the day-to-day running of a busy household would be worthy of a syndrome, but feel free to believe in it.

[1] Christian Medical Fellowship: The Martha Syndrome