“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 ESV
"Lars, vhy haf you got bandages on both of your ears?" asked Ole.
"Vell, Ole, yesterday vhen I vas ironing my shirt de telephone rang. I accidentally answered de iron."
"Oh Lars, dat must haf really hurt! So vhat happened to de other ear?"
"Vell," said Lars, "I tried to call de doctor."
Sometimes we are so "tuned into" one situation that we give a faulty response to something else. Many times these situations are harmless, like when we say a wrong word or put something away where it doesn't belong. Not so harmless, though, are the times when we are distracted in potentially dangerous situations, like while driving. It's easy to think that we can handle diversions because we've had no previous problems. But sadly, accidents can happen to anyone. We need to prioritize and focus on what is most important.
In Luke 10 Jesus tells us about two sisters, one who was listening to Jesus' teachings and the other who was preparing a meal for Him. Even though He and His disciples must have been hungry after their long walk, Jesus still said that the most important thing was to listen and learn.
Jesus wants us to follow Him. He's not just calling us to do good things for Him, although we certainly should. He wants us to study and listen and learn from Him. He doesn't want us to be distracted by the cares of the world.
Oh Lord, we want to love You, listen to You and follow You, but life is full of so many different distractions. Help us focus. Show us how to put first things first in everything we do. Protect us from the careless mistakes we make. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Built on a Rock
By
Martha Fick, Good Samaritan, Mission Effectiveness