The answer is, “It all depends.” If I compare myself with Dr. Ben Carson, I am an extremely low-capacity! Raised by a single mother from the time he was eight, at the age of thirty-three he became the youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery in the United States, at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon retirement, thirty years later, he was professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Me, I know enough to treat minor cuts with antiseptic cream and a band-aid, or an antacid for heartburn. Low-capacity!

If I compare myself to a homeless person living in a makeshift cardboard lean-to under a bridge, scrounging for cans and bottles in nearby trash bins to redeem for money, or standing endlessly on street corners with a sign asking for help—then I am a very high-capacity person, aren’t I?

If I compare myself to Michael Phelps, the celebrated swimmer, decorated with the most ever Olympic medals by an individual (twenty-eight total), I come out as low-capacity. My primary form of exercise is electric-bike riding, easy-medium hikes in state and national parks, or walks around the neighborhood. But if I compare myself to the couch-potato or Facebook addict then I’m high capacity.

If I compare myself to Martha (of biblical fame), who gutted it out in the kitchen to provide a nice meal for the Lord Jesus, I am low-capacity. I much prefer the eating side of hospitality, rather than the work side of preparing a meal. My culinary skills and efforts are more suited to cooking the occasional hotdog or fixing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I have little use for cookbooks, but am so glad that others use them! However, I have no problem enjoying a canoe trip into the wilderness, cooking pre-packaged, freeze-dried (just add water) meals over a fire or small hot-shot burner, picking out the inevitable dirt flecks or dead bugs. High-capacity!

Here is the question: am I high-capacity in the right things? Comparing myself to Martha’s sister, Mary, am I high- or low-capacity? She sat while her sister did all the work. But Jesus commended her for high-capacity worship:

Martha welcomed [Jesus] into her home … Mary … was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?” …  But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38–42)

Lord, I desire to be a high-capacity worshiper and listener to Your Word!