“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.” ~ Luke 10:40
REFERENCE:
The Greek word for worry comes from a root word that means to distract, divide, or draw in different directions. This is exactly what anxiety/worry does to most people. It pulls the mind in different directions, occupying it with various negative scenarios or outcomes, limiting the mind’s ability to focus on what is important. The war on worry is a call to learn to focus.
In our main text, the Greek word for ‘distracted’ also means to drag all around, draw away, be driven about mentally, and be over-occupied or too busy about an issue. One thing worry robs us of is the ability to discern and focus on what is important to solve it, glean from it, or be productive in it. Martha was driven by the ‘urgent’ and lost what was important.
Many of us are like Martha. We are driven by a sense of duty, perfectionist tendencies, and the need to perform. Do these describe you? You find it hard to delegate. You take on the jobs of others when they delay delivering. You cannot say no to a call to duty. All your ‘ducks must line up in a row.’ You must always ‘put your best foot forward’ and be a good host.
These traits describe Martha. She got lost in the kitchen setting tables, studying recipes, tasting meals, and instructing her maids. In all that, she missed the Guest who came to see her, not her meal. The result: she was frustrated, angry, envious, and irritable – all these are signs of burnout. Jesus contrasted her attitude to Mary’s, who chose one thing (focus). She learned that if you seek God first, the things that usually distract you will be added.
Are you always barraged by the demands of work, people, family, and your church? Don’t be drawn away (distracted) by many things; focus on spending alone time with Jesus; it revives and restores. Multitudes followed Jesus, but seeing His disciples had just gone on a missionary journey, He asked them to step aside to refocus and refresh. To win the war on worry, reduce what distracts and agitates you. Get into the presence of Jesus Christ, where you can find the relief and peace that comes from focusing on spiritual guidance.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Mark 6:45-47, Mark 6:30-32, and Psalm 27:4
PRAYER:
+ Lord, Jesus, I invite You into my life, home, marriage, and career. Please honor my invitation and pay me a visit like I have never experienced before.
+ I ask for the grace to harness the power of my spirit to cultivate the practice of focus.
+ I call my mind back from the many things that distract me. I fix my eyes on Christ alone.
