Luke 10. “Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.” (10:39-40) I read this little story of two sisters this morning and suddenly it hit me – this is exactly me in my quiet time every morning! Does this happen to you? I make the effort to sit down and spend some time with God – to sit at His feet and listen to (read from) His teaching out of the Word. No sooner have I sat down then – wham – I am struck with a barrage of important things that need to be done. Unexpectedly, I remember tasks I need to do (or tasks I failed to complete yesterday). I am distracted, anxious and troubled about many things (10:41), and I find it difficult to corral my thoughts so that I can focus on Bible reading and spending time with Jesus.

I am guessing that this phenomenon happens to you as well. As we think about Mary and Martha, observe these details: First, though Martha was distracted with much serving, she was doing a very good thing. Her hospitality and concern for her guest (The Lord of all people!) was both admirable and what the law commanded people to do. Hospitality and loving other people were at the top of the list of good things to be doing. Secondly, Martha was anxious and troubled because she wanted all the details to be taken care of correctly. She also desired some help. We might judge her for that, but to me it seems like her concerns are reasonable.

So then, Jesus’ comments to Martha indicate not that what she was doing was wrong, but that her priorities at that time and place were out of order. At that moment, Martha needed to prioritize time with Jesus over all her other projects and tasks. That’s a good word for me, for us, as we think about our commitment to spend time sitting with Jesus and reading His Word every day.

I combat the to do list reminders and the random anxious thoughts that pop up during my time with Jesus in two ways: First, I keep a stack of sticky notes next to my chair. As tasks come to mind, I simply write them on my list for later and return to what I was reading. Secondly, as things I am anxious or troubled about pop into my mind, I write them on my prayer list (more sticky notes). For the most part, this works. I wrote it down, prayed about it, and I try to leave it there at the feet of Jesus.

When can good acts like caring for others, hospitality, or service get in the way and distract us from truly focusing on Jesus? What causes you to feel distracted from Jesus in your quiet time or daily life? What might you do to carve out time simply sitting at the feet of Jesus? What stood out to you from Luke 10?