DISTRACTIONS

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTOR RYAN LADEN (DEVOTIONALS)

Distractions

Congratulations! Right this second, you are doing something that will have a huge impact on your walk with God today. You have chosen what is best right this moment.

You have turned away from all the distractions that swirl around you and you have chosen to focus your time and attention on the Lord. Well done.

Distractions

Be honest, it is hard to pull away from the distractions and problems of life. It can be a real challenge to find time to draw near to the Lord in a time of personal worship, biblical study, and intimate communication / prayer with the Lord.

We live in a world filled with entertainment at our fingertips and problems that follow us around with the “dinging” of our phones. It can certainly seem much easier to just give in to the demands of the moment than to fight back and find time with God.

But, as we can hear in the passage that follows, there is a way that is best, and if we can step onto this path rather than that of distraction, we will be blessed by the Lord:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

““Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.””

Luke 10:38-42 NIV11

Compassion

The honest among us has a place of compassion for Martha. All these people came into the home that she and her sister, Mary (and brother Lazarus), share. There is a lot to be done if they are to be good hosts to Jesus and his disciples.

Martha was trying to do what she felt was right, and her sister Mary just seemed to check out and leave her to deal with all the needs of the moment. It is easy for me to appreciate Martha’s situation, and even her complaint.

Distracted

In verse 40, we hear that Martha was distracted by all that she felt needed to be done right then. And, instead of doing the work as worship given to the Lord, she allowed the demands and expectations she placed on herself to spill over onto her sister, and onto the Lord himself.

How Often Do We
Do that very Thing?

We get ourselves into a right mess with all of our commitments, expectations, guilt trips, and distractions and then we turn to the Lord and demand that he intervenes and do something.

Like I said, I can identify with Martha.
She is experiencing something that is very much a part of the human condition.

Listen

Listen again to the reply that Jesus Christ gave to Martha in her time of stressed-out distraction:

““Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.””

Luke 10:41-42 NIV11

Better

Jesus nails it, as usual. Mary was not wrong to focus her time and attention on the Lord. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that this is what is best.

The dishes, the clean-up, the distractions of the household were not going anywhere, but Jesus was. The Lord was in the house! Martha did not need to try and meet all of these unrealistic expectations of being a perfect hostess. She needed to sit before the Lord.

What are Your Distractions?

· How are the misplaced expectations of the day robbing you of a time of personal worship, biblical study, and intimate communication and prayer with the Lord God Almighty?

· Step back from it all and see where you are trading what is best for what is expected.

· Choose to follow the example of Mary and sit at the feet of the Lord while you have the opportunity. All those distractions can wait.

In Christ,

Ryan Laden

OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH

“TO ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP EACH OTHER IN LOVE TO KNOW JESUS AND MAKE HIM KNOWN”

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