Thursday, November 18, 2010

Choose God Over Distractions

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made."

-- Luke 10:40a

Did you know your television has an OFF button? It does. And it works even when you aren't leaving the room. Same goes for your cell phone and computer. They all come with OFF buttons. Check the directions. You'll see.

Another tidbit: Doors close. I know. It's shocking. But they do. It really is okay to go into a room by yourself and close the door. It's okay to be unavailable to your spouse, kids, parents and friends for a set time. Really. They'll whine but they'll be okay.

Now, let me be clear about something. I am not telling you to leave a crying infant alone or a toddler wandering around by himself. That's child neglect and I'll be the first to call the cops. I'm simply saying that we assume we always have to be available to our loved ones. Sometimes it's okay to not be. Get your husband to take care of the kids for 30 minutes. Don't answer the phone. Shut the door. One woman told me she retreats to her walk-in closet. Just go somewhere and be alone.

The purpose of all this? To get rid of the distractions so you can focus on God. I've read this passage about Mary and Martha numerous times over the years. The focus always seems to be on a whining Martha and a Mary intent on listening to all of Jesus' words. It's easy to rush past that little sentence that tells us Martha was distracted. Aren't we all?

I've come to realize that there will always be someone or something that nags for my attention. It is so freeing to realize I can have a choice. I can choose to spend time with God. I can turn off the distractions. I can close the door. I can pay attention to God without being interrupted.

But it's a choice. That's right. A choice. I used to be one of those people who just didn't have time for serious Bible study. Me? Read the Bible from cover to cover -- every year? I thought that was insane. But I did it anyway. Now I crave it. Spending time with God keeps me sane. It keeps me focused (most of the time). It keeps my priorities straight.

It's so easy to get distracted by all the stuff that fills our lives. Take time to focus on God. He'll bless you in ways you never imagined.