I recently read a social media post that said one of the tell-tale signs that an individual is wealthy is that they take their time. They are not hurried or harried or rushed. The post also pointed out that wealthy people do not walk staring down at their phones. They take in what and who is around them, head up, hands-free.
Naturally, I started thinking about the speed at which I move through most days. I thought about the pride I take in checking things off of my to-do list. I thought of my phone, a near constant presence in my hand. Clearly, the way I am moving through life is not giving “wealthy woman.”
Now, that is valid considering my current financial position, but I was still compelled to look closer. Why do wealthy people take their time? The answer seemed pretty simple: Why rush when, nine times out of ten, you are the one in charge? Why rush when the room will wait on you? Why stay glued to your phone when you have dedicated support to solve any problem that comes up, and the resources to solve it? Financial resources. Human resources. Margin.
Then it came to me - the unhurried woman is not just rich, she is secure.
In Luke 10, Jesus visits two sisters. Mary sits at his feet and listens. Martha is busy, distracted by all the preparations, until finally she snaps. She complains to Jesus that He is ambivalent to the fact that she was doing all of the work while Mary sat. Martha implored Him to direct Mary to help her.
Jesus responds gently. He tells Martha that she’s letting herself be consumed by anxiety over so many small tasks when, in truth, only one thing really matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and it won’t be taken away from her.
We love to make this a story about busy women versus restful women. I don’t think that’s what it’s about at all. Jesus never scolds Martha for serving, instead He names what is happening inside her. The word for distracted in this text means pulled in many directions, dragged around, fragmented. Martha puts forth lots of effort, yet she has very little peace. Her worry has turned her against her own sister. Hurry will always look for someone to blame.
I am a well-planned woman, and reading this forced me to see that my calendar is not the problem. Maybe yours is not either. We keep believing that more structure or better time management will finally lift the anxiety. But a perfectly planned day can still be carried out with a racing, fragmented heart.
You can manage your time beautifully and still mismanage your peace. The real work is not in limiting how many things land on the list, but in how many you are holding in your mind while you work it.
Mary was oozing wealth in that room. She took her time. She had access to the Host of hosts and she refused to rush past Him to prove herself. She knew she was secure, so she could be still.
You ought to move through your life like a woman who is taken care of, because you are. You do not have to earn a seat you have already been given. Your calendar app is not your security. Our Father is.
And if today you feel more Martha than Mary - scattered, fragmented, anxious - don’t worry. Martha is not a cautionary tale. Later in scripture, Martha gives one of the boldest confessions of faith in all of Scripture. The distracted woman in this text reflects our Father’s faithfulness to make our burdens lighter, even the mundane, day-to-day worries.
You are not behind schedule. There’s no need to chase anyone or anything. You are held, and you have the resources to take your time.
This week, do one thing slowly and on purpose. Walk without your phone in your hand. Eat without a screen. Sit with God before you reach for your calendar. Let yourself be a woman who takes her time.
Intentional. Secure. Wealthy.
A few questions to sit with:
What does hurry cost me in my peace and in my people?
What daily rituals do I rush or multitask my way through?
If I slowed down by half, what do I fear I would lose? Is that fear true?
I love you.
Coi Marie
Affirmation:
I move through life with the security of a well-resourced woman.
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