Being Distracted in the House of the Lord:

My mind races a lot.  I can think about many different things at one time.  I know it is because I keep myself busy, and I like to keep busy.  However, I struggle to be distracted with my thoughts, even while I am spending time in my Bible Study and while at church.  This is the time when I am supposed to be the most focused, and yet I can find myself so distracted. I believe Satan is good about using any tactic that he can think imaginable to distract us from the Lord.  This could be the text we get during the service or the anxious list of items we know we need to accomplish before the night is over.  I have plenty of hours to think of it all when the service ends, but Satan is placing the anxiety in my heart at the exact moment when I am supposed to be spending time with God.  

This all brings me to one of my favorite stories and reminders of the Bible which is the time Jesus came to Mary and Martha’s house for supper.  Jesus was going to spend time with Mary and Martha because he loved them so much.  He wanted their time and their company.  Similarly to the company he wants from all of us.  However, Martha was BUSY.  She was making all the good food for Jesus to enjoy.  She was making sure the house was clean and presentable.  It is one thing to have regular human company come over to a messy house, but quite another to have the Lord, the God of the Universe and the King of the New Kingdom come over to your house when it is a disaster.  She had a lot to do.  I could sympathize with Martha.  I always try to keep myself busy and try to keep everything in order.  I love a long list, and I love getting to check any items off! 

Martha needed help, at least according to her.  She did not get that help from her sister though.  Mary was too busy spending time with Jesus.  Martha became frustrated with her sister, asking how she could sit while there was such a list to be accomplished.  How could she let her sister do all the work?!  The Lord took this time to remind her, though, that Mary is doing the right thing because she is spending time with God.  This is said in Luke 10:41-42, “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.”  The Lord wanted to remind her that even though it was wonderful for her to care for the small things in the house, and to want to make him feel welcomed, he would rather she choose to be focused on him.  

There are a few steps I am taking to try to focus more during church.  I hope some of the steps I have taken would also be incredibly helpful to anyone else who struggles to focus when spending time with the Lord.  I have been working really hard at praying to avoid being distracted. I pray when I am doing my devotional so I can focus on the words that are in my Bible.  I need to make sure I do a better job at not getting distracted when I am in church.  Every time I go to church, I should make sure I pray to be completely focused on what the preacher is saying and how I can take the truth from the Bible in the sermon and apply it to my own life.  I have also done a better job at focusing on the sermon once I have started diving into note taking.  I was so happy a few years ago when I was challenged to take notes while listening to sermons.  Being able to find key points of the sermon and my action steps for the following week has helped grow me in learning from the sermon.  When I am focused on getting notes, it can be harder to fall into distraction.  

Satan is a very tricky and conniving being.  He wants to take away our comfort while we are sitting in the house of the Lord.  He wants us to be distracted by the anxieties and the evils of the world as opposed to growing closer to the God who is always present and always showing us love.  I would like to end this blog post with a prayer as one I hope to use to grow away from present distractions.

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for your love and your desire to spend time with us.  We are your creation, and you want to love us even when we easily get distracted and fall away.  I pray you will help me to not become distracted when I am spending time in your house.  I pray when I am spending time with you, I am less and less filled with anxiety and the overwhelming lists of things that need be done.  Please help me spend my time with you with my whole heart and presence.  This includes my complete presence, not just my physical presence.  I pray I can be more like Mary in the moments where I want to be more like Martha.