Holy Distraction

There is so much going on at a college campus.  It can sometimes get kind of crazy.  As I talk with friends, students as well as those who work on campus, I become more and more aware of how crowded life can become.  My own life sometimes seems scheduled to the max.  But in the last few weeks the Lord has been challenging me with the following scripture:

 

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her then to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

 

The question that I find myself pondering is: “What is the one needful thing?”   When I am connected to the Lord, that most important thing becomes so clear, and I am able to clearly see what is of real value in my life, and what is clutter.  I hate that much of the time I spend my energy on the clutter and then have only leftovers to give to God.  The sucky thing is that a lot of the clutter in my life could actually be classified under “good stuff.”  But given enough time it proves to usually be busy work.  Jesus understood this so well about human nature, that we like to expend a lot of energy proving ourselves and expecting others to do the same. 

 

Here is the good news:  Jesus doesn’t expect us to prove anything to Him.  He just wants us to BE with Him.  He wants us to give Him space to speak; to make room in our lives where we can LISTEN.  The novel thing about listening is we have to be quiet enough to hear.  This is really good news for me.  Sometimes I confuse the Lord’s voice with my own internal Martha one, and I think it is Jesus who wants me to do all this stuff for Him, even though it is making me miserable (and everyone else). 

 

The times when I really listened for His voice, He set the direction for my day, and often my life, in a way that cut through the clutter and helped me understand what was really important.  And even better, He gave me the power to complete those Most Important things, so I wasn’t trying to muster energy I didn’t have.  He is so sweet that way.

 

My prayer is that you discover His sweet voice for your own life.  Know that you are loved.

 

Blessings,

 

Sami