Today’s scripture: Luke 10:38-42 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me in this passage? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
It’s crunch time! Mary and Martha have the most important houseguest of their lives — all the guests have arrived and the Messiah is getting ready to teach — and maybe they’re just not ready! Have you ever collaborated with a sibling, roommate, or friend for an important event, and things simply didn’t get done in time? If so, did you feel the urge to blame them for it? Well, that’s what seems to be happening here. In fact, Martha was so disturbed that she approached Jesus while he was talking so that He could order Mary to get on her feet and get with it!
Martha even had a worthy -sounding reason for her distraction — work needed to done! And that’s a primary characteristic of a distraction — there always seems to be a compelling reason for it! It just makes so much sense at the time! That, however, doesn’t change the reality: it’s still a distraction!
Whether it’s a daunting task like hosting a big gathering, or something else, the worst thing about distractions is they rob us of our perspective. They cause us to be unaware — blind — to God’s presence. Just think — Martha was blind to the greatness of Jesus’ presence and love while He was in her own house! Martha seems to have lost sight of Jesus’ love not only for Mary, but also for herself. Trust? Faith? Seeing the present in light of eternity? She seems she’s lost those, too.
It’s obviously best to stop distractions as early as possible — before they gain much momentum. But how? I’ve had so many distractions in my life, that hopefully I’ve discovered some effective ways to get rid of them!
- Recognize it. Did Martha realize she was distracted? No, Jesus had to tell her she was. That’s the way distractions are — we don’t realize when we’re under their influence. Simply realizing that I am distracted is the first step. But, if we only recognize it for a fleeting moment, and then return to it, we haven’t gained much.
- Face it. “Lord, I hate to admit it, but I now accept the fact that this has really pulled me off track lately.”
- Replace it. Immerse yourself in God’s love, power, and grace — soak some of God’s qualities into your mind. In my experience, that’s the one and only thing that works!
OK, so now that I’ve gotten rid of today’s distraction, I’ll never have another one, right? Wrong! They will happen — it’s just a part of this life. Buy isn’t it great to know that we can stop them before they dominate us, and return home to the loving arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Thought for the day: Lord, are there any distractions that have crept into my life today?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.