One day last week, it was 3am and I was trying to sleep but something was keeping me awake. Finally, I sat up and prayed, asking God “What is it you are trying to tell me or show me?”
He did not disappoint. He began to deal with me about some things I had scheduled in the days ahead. Things I thought were ‘good works.’ Things I thought would be pleasing to God. They were either not what He was wanting me to do or the timing wasn’t right. Either way, I again prayed saying, “Okay God, as soon as morning comes, I will contact those involved and cancel those things.”
A distraction is defined as; a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. These ‘good’ things were apparently keeping me from giving my full attention to something else, to God and His presence.
In the book of Luke 10:38-42, we discover how distractions, even good things, can keep us from Jesus. We see Jesus being invited into the house of a woman named Martha. Martha had a sister named Mary. After Jesus accepted her invite and went into her house, instead of sitting and spending time with Jesus, Martha began running around preparing food and serving. Keep in mind, Martha is the one who invited him into her home. Yet she was spending no time with him. Not only that, but she became angry at her sister Mary because Mary wasn’t helping her rush about and serve– Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus.
When she complained to Jesus, Jesus simply said Mary was doing the good thing and it would not be taken from her.
The distractions of Martha were keeping her from giving Jesus her full attention. She missed out on a monumental time of basking in the very presence of Jesus. How sad is that?
Before you answer that question, stop and take a look at your life. Are there things in your life that are good, perhaps even ministry, that keep you from daily sitting at the feet of Jesus? Are there plans, or other things that are causing you to fail to give God or Jesus your full attention?
If we are brutally honest, most of us would have to answer yes to those questions. I know I would.
For me, it is especially difficult with the demands of ministry. I feel that if I am doing ministry, I am doing what I need to do for the Lord. Not true. If ministry is taking me away from spending quality intimate time with the Lord, or from being in His presence daily, something is wrong. He must come first.
Matthew 6:24 says, No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. I realize this scripture is referring to money, however, I don’t believe it only applies to money.
We cannot serve two masters. We must have only one master. The other master that is competing for our full attention may not be money. It may be our job, or our position in a company. It may be our children. It may be ministry. Whatever it is, we cannot serve two masters – we must choose.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mt 6:21)
One translation says it like this.
For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.
Plainly put, you will go after what means most to you. Today, I challenge you to search your heart to find out what your real treasure is. Is it your job, your kids, your spouse, your ministry, your position in the community, your healing, or is it your God.
My friend, God must come first. There is no other way. We must love the Lord God with our whole heart, mind and soul and serve only Him. We cannot allow distractions to change that truth. I encourage you to take a good look at your life, remove any and all distractions and set boundaries around your personal relationship with God. Then and only then will you walk in the fulness of His covenant, His peace and His presence.
