MId-Week Message - Distractions

My husband and I have a favorite program that we watch together every Monday evening.  We look forward to it and even stay up late to be able to see it when it airs, rather than watching it at a later time on the dvr.  Each week, as we are watching, we continually comment about how many commercials we are sitting through.  They interrupt the story, often right in the middle of a very important part and the distraction they cause is quite aggravating.  

Life is full of distractions.  I was a school secretary for years.  The work I did often took a lot of concentration.  Entering grades, preparing report cards, putting together the school newsletter, keeping student files complete and accurate, working on the student yearbook and many other tasks demanded my full attention.  However, I was constantly interrupted by the phone ringing or students coming to my desk for various reasons.  It could be very frustrating.  

I would venture to say that we all have trouble at times keeping our minds focused.  This is something that the enemy can use to his advantage.  Does your mind wander during church services? Mine often does.  It isn't because I'm disinterested in the sermon.  My mind just wanders to less important thoughts.  All it takes is a whisper from the intruder to get me to lose my focus.  The same is true with devotionals or scripture reading.  I try to keep my mind trained on what is before me but before long I realize that I need to reread the words again because I was unsuccessful.  

In Luke 10:38-42 we read about someone who was distracted from what was most important.  "Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."  Mary chose to turn all her attention onto Jesus.  Martha allowed herself to be distracted by what she thought was important at the time which was preparing a meal.  What she thought was necessary at the time paled in comparison to the opportunity she had to sit at the feet of the Savior.  

There is nothing in life that is more important than our relationship with the Lord.  Nothing.  That is why our enemy works so hard to keep us busy with other things.  Our jobs, our families, our social lives, all are needed and we have to devote time to them.  Our first concern though should be, has to be, the oneness we have with our Heavenly Father.  Spending time with Him, time in His Word, in prayer, in communion with Him, needs to be utmost in our lives.  And when we fight the distractions and make Him our priority then all the other areas of our lives will benefit and we will learn more and more what is worthy of our attention.