TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
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!” Luke 10:40
Read: Luke 10:40
Listen: Luke 10
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Martha invites Jesus into her home. She must have respected him and likely was a devoted follower of his. But once he was in her home, she is distracted from him by all the dinner preparations. She was playing the role of host. She probably wants to listen to Jesus but is distracted by her responsibilities. While she is hard at work, her sister remains at Jesus’ feet. We can imagine that as the frustration builds, she begins to make a bit of extra noise to draw attention to herself—eventually leading her to questioning Jesus and telling him what to do!
We can empathize with Martha. She gets distracted by her desire to serve her guests well. This seems like a noble enough goal. Unfortunately, distraction is still a problem today.
This weekend Pastor Aaron Buer shared about a night when his daughter asked why he was always on his phone—and if it was because he didn’t want to be with them. He loves his daughter and enjoys her company. But he found himself distracted from what mattered most.
The same thing happens to us too. We get distracted by work, technology, friends, a full schedule or the desire to get the most out of summer. It’s not that these are bad things, but they can distract us from things that matter more. In this story, we learn from Martha the importance of focusing on what matters most.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Spend a few minutes and ask God about what in your life distracts you from what matters most. Write in your journal distractions that come to mind and things you can do to focus on more important things. If you are married (or plan to be married) read this article recommended by Pastor Aaron Buer. Use this article to focus or re-focus on your relationship.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
