Distracted
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. – Luke 10:39-41.
A funny thing happened to a woman on the way to pick up a friend 38 miles away. She became “distracted” and drove through Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and to Zagreb, Croatia. 38 miles became, two days later, 901 miles. Sabine Moreau claims she noticed her GPS was taking her on a strange route. She says, “I saw all kinds of traffic pass. First in French, then in German; Cologne, Aachen, Frankfurt. But I asked myself no questions. I was just distracted, so I kept my foot down.” When Sabine arrived in Zagreb, she says she suddenly realized she was no longer in Belgium and phoned home. Good thing! Her son had reported the 67-year-old woman missing, and police were gearing up for a full scale search. (Telegraph.co.uk 02.13.13)
Those pesky GPS units! Amazing how far off those things will take us sometimes! As with most technological innovations, a human brain is usually required for them to function properly. My GPS unit has led me onto dead ends more than once. True, on the other side of the dead end I could see the street that I needed to be on, but it was impossible to access from there. You have to think, it was a major distraction to drive 901 miles through three countries prior to thinking that this cannot possibly be the correct route!
Martha and Mary were both devoted followers of Jesus. We can certainly sympathize with Martha. Because Martha is having to do all of the work and Mary is just sitting around doing nothing but listening to Jesus. Martha had to be shocked at the answer of Jesus. Martha, had become “distracted” through her “much serving.” She was distracted from the main thing being the main thing. That main thing was Jesus.
Have you ever become distracted from your devotion to Jesus? I know that I have, and it can happen in completely innocent ways. For example, you have a hobby that you enjoy. You spend more and more time with your hobby. You spend more and more money on your hobby. Before long you are traveling around the country going to meetings with others who love your hobby. You stop going to church, you stop reading your Bible, you stop praying; because you only have time for your hobby. Your hobby becomes the main thing and the focus of your devotion.
The apostle Paul in a discussion about being married or not being married in 1 Corinthians 7 says in verse 35 NKJV, “And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.” This appears to be the key to knowing whether or not we are on the right course with our lives. Is what we are doing or not doing of a proper nature and allowing us to “serve the Lord without distraction?”
What about you? Are you serving the Lord without distraction?
(Are You Distracted?)