Distracted By Responsibilities

‘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

Often the things that distract us from the presence of God are unavoidable life responsibilities. Those daily routines and things we have to do, whether we like them or not. Like taking care of your kids, handling a demanding job, or taking care of a sick relative. For Martha, it was attending to her VVIP guest.

The Messiah was sitting in her living room and He probably came with His disciples and other people. So she had to serve them. You and I would probably do the same thing, had we been in her shoes. The only difference was that Jesus was having a Masterclass right there, in her living room, but she was busy. 

I wonder how many times God called us to fast, or turn a weekend into a retreat but there was no time in our schedule because the kids had soccer practice, a project at work was due, we had to take on that job to make rent, etc. Is it wrong to be responsible to your family? No. But alas we are falling behind on being responsible in our relationship with our Lord.

When we get distracted, guess what happens, we become anxious and frustrated and resent others for not lending a hand. Martha accused Jesus of not caring and Mary of not helping because she was overwhelmed and probably tired.

Beloved, responsibilities never end. There will never be a day that all your adult responsibilities will suddenly disappear and you will live “La Vida Loca.” So you need to choose what matters most and focus on that. Jesus told Martha what she should have chosen and we will see that tomorrow. 

Exercise

• Get a note and write out what your schedule has been like over the past week or month. Include minor tasks, chores like dishwashing, and screen time.
• Identify what were priorities and required your full attention and tasks you could combine.

Prayer

Present your list before God and ask Him to renew your strength. Tell him exactly how exhausted you feel and tell Him to help you regain structure and focus in your life again. Pray, In Jesus name. Amen.

Bible Reading : Matthew 11-20

Shalom