DON\'T GET DISTRACTED
By: Elle Buell
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 NIV
The moral of this story is usually something like, “Don’t become so busy doing God’s work that you forget to spend time with Him.” That’s a good point, and its advice that we should all consider. However, I see something more happening here. I see Martha doing what God gifted her to do (cleaning and cooking), and Mary doing what God gifted her to do (worship), and a conflict happens because Martha felt that Mary’s gifting should look and act more like her own gifting. (Read that again and let it sink in.) If Martha had been working as unto God with a heart to serve Him, she wouldn’t have been upset about what Mary was doing because her focus would’ve been on making sure that her own work was excellent for our King.
I serve on the worship team and I know God has anointed me to do that, but that makes the ushers’ jobs no less important. Tammie and Larry Smith are the world’s greatest greeters, but that makes the kids workers’ jobs no less significant. If we measured Tammie and Larry’s gifting within the FOP Kidz ministry setting, it probably wouldn’t equal a success because their gifting is in the area of hospitality. Likewise, measuring your own gifting against that of someone else within a different area of the body of Christ simply causes distraction, discouragement, and discord like it did with Martha and Mary.
Whatever gifting God has given you to serve within the body of Christ (both in and outside the house of God), do it "with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23 NIV). As you’re working, don’t get distracted by others and what they’re doing or not doing. Focus on completing whatever task is in front of you with excellence, doing it as unto our Heavenly Father, and let God deal with the hearts of anyone who isn’t doing their best for Him. Prevent distraction, discouragement, and discord by staying focused on God and what He has called you to do.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 NIV
The moral of this story is usually something like, “Don’t become so busy doing God’s work that you forget to spend time with Him.” That’s a good point, and its advice that we should all consider. However, I see something more happening here. I see Martha doing what God gifted her to do (cleaning and cooking), and Mary doing what God gifted her to do (worship), and a conflict happens because Martha felt that Mary’s gifting should look and act more like her own gifting. (Read that again and let it sink in.) If Martha had been working as unto God with a heart to serve Him, she wouldn’t have been upset about what Mary was doing because her focus would’ve been on making sure that her own work was excellent for our King.
I serve on the worship team and I know God has anointed me to do that, but that makes the ushers’ jobs no less important. Tammie and Larry Smith are the world’s greatest greeters, but that makes the kids workers’ jobs no less significant. If we measured Tammie and Larry’s gifting within the FOP Kidz ministry setting, it probably wouldn’t equal a success because their gifting is in the area of hospitality. Likewise, measuring your own gifting against that of someone else within a different area of the body of Christ simply causes distraction, discouragement, and discord like it did with Martha and Mary.
Whatever gifting God has given you to serve within the body of Christ (both in and outside the house of God), do it "with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23 NIV). As you’re working, don’t get distracted by others and what they’re doing or not doing. Focus on completing whatever task is in front of you with excellence, doing it as unto our Heavenly Father, and let God deal with the hearts of anyone who isn’t doing their best for Him. Prevent distraction, discouragement, and discord by staying focused on God and what He has called you to do.