Holy leisure sounds lovely, but what does it look like in the middle of ordinary life? Many associate a contemplative life with a monastic one — long, uninterrupted hours in study and prayer. While that may be desirable to some, it’s unattainable for most. In our busy modern lives, is it possible to be both contemplative and active? Can we pursue holy leisure in our holy service? Our lives may be full of necessary work, but we don’t want to miss the “one thing” most necessary. Pursuing holy leisure does not require withdrawing from responsibilities; it requires seeking Christ first where our lives naturally unfold — at home, at work, and in community.

It begins as soon as our feet hit the floor in the morning. Our minds start running through our to-do lists, and we mentally order our day. “First I’ll do this; then I’ll do that.” But even when we have everything in place, circumstances often dictate our next steps more than we do. Maybe that’s how Martha felt when Jesus stopped by for lunch.

When Jesus entered the town of Bethany, Martha was the first to welcome him into her home. As she prepared the meal, her sister, Mary, sat at Jesus’s feet and hung on his every word. Perhaps Martha intended to sit at Jesus’s feet after her work was done, but when her sister did not follow her priorities, she complained, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me” (Luke 10:40).

Jesus’s gracious response reordered Martha’s this-then-that priorities. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42). Martha’s work was important, but given the option of either spending time with Jesus or serving him, only one thing was necessary, and it wasn’t the lentil stew.

The order was clear: Sitting at Jesus’s feet took precedence over service. Jesus invited Martha out of the kitchen and into the living room. Before she fed others, she first needed her own soul fed.

Holy Leisure Before Holy Service

Christians have long wrestled with how to remain spiritually contemplative while loving and serving others, how to abide in Jesus amid life’s busyness. In the fourth century, Augustine reflected on the balance between devotion to God and service to neighbors. He wrote, “The love of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity of love undertakes righteous activity” (City of God, 19.19). Augustine (like Jesus) reorients our priorities: holy leisure first, then holy service.

The phrase holy leisure may be unfamiliar, but it captures the biblical idea of delighting and resting in God. When we think about leisure today, we might think of escape or entertainment. However, Augustine understood leisure differently. It was not doing nothing, but an active pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty. Therefore, the soul filled with “love of truth” is not idle but is drawn into a restful devotion to Jesus. As we engage with spiritual disciplines, our souls find rest, or holy leisure. Leisure, then, is not the opposite of meaningful work, but the condition of the soul that makes our work meaningful.

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