No one is OK all the time
“It’s OK not to be OK.”
That’s a phrase I heard years ago from a speaker at a conference I attended. The speaker had a strong background in pastoral counseling, and the audience was mostly pastors and ministry leaders.
The phrase seemed simple -- almost trite. However, as I looked around the crowd after the speaker said those words, it seemed that all of us gave a sigh of relief.
For many of us, it was the first time in a long time -- if ever -- that we had heard those words out loud: “It’s OK not to be OK.” Most of us were generally positive people. We had jobs that were fulfilling to us most of the time, and we all worked hard to do our jobs well and maintain a balance between “work life” and “home life.”
However, those opening words hit home for us all.
None of us struck a perfect balance all the time. We all had nights when we came home distracted by the events of the day or the events that were coming up. There were also times when we made mistakes and were not able to be as helpful or as consistent as we wished.
I don’t think any of us heard them as an excuse to lower our standards or try any less to “do well.” What we did hear was a reality check: No one, regardless of how strong their faith, is going to feel like they’re doing well all the time. And that’s OK.
There is a passage in the Gospels where two sisters invited Jesus over for a meal. Their names were Mary and Martha. Both were followers of Jesus. Both were faithful and hardworking.
After the meal, Mary sat with Jesus as he taught and interacted with him. Martha was busy in the kitchen and complained to Jesus to correct Mary for not being busy enough at the moment. Jesus surprised Martha by saying, “Mary has chosen what is best for now” (see Luke 10:38-42).
Martha was worried about many things and was pushing herself to the point of exhaustion. Mary recognized the need to simply sit with Jesus at that moment.
Jesus was not condemning Martha for her hard work. Nor was he signaling that Mary would never have to do hard work. Instead, Jesus was telling them both that there were times when we just need to sit for a while and be in God’s presence. That is true whether we’re OK at the moment or not.
The result will be a lifelong reminder that God’s love for us is not about our performance, but about God’s grace and mercy. Those are things we can count on all the time.
