One Thing Needed

“But Martha was distracted with much serving… ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed…’” Luke 10:40-42

Anyone who really knows me fully understands how much I love college basketball and my Duke team. Last night I had Trauma Care Training at church at the same time Duke was playing in the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament to win a spot in the Final Four. Prior to going to church, I told Bruce to shoot me a text every now and then telling me the score, since my texts can be seen on my watch. When I got seated in the group, I had my phone sitting up in my pocketbook where I could occasionally glance down and see the score. During the opening prayer I felt convicted of my double-mindedness and my focus for the night needed to be my on the training. I knew that God was reminding me that my worried and troubled mind about a basketball game wasn’t true serving. True serving is having my focus and my heart settled on my calling. I asked Him to help me choose the better way…the one thing that is needed for those 2 hours. He equipped me with the self-control from checking my watch and my phone until the break. Every now and then the game would cross my mind, but I would picture my unwillingness to look as a way to worship Him. When I went on break, I had 18 texts from 5 different people regarding the game. That would have meant I would have been distracted 18 times in a two-hour span, not to mention the anxiety and frustration of Duke trailing. I know you are probably thinking how pathetic that it would take this much effort to not check a score. But it was my distraction for that period of time and the best way to learn how to choose ‘the one thing needed’ is to start with the little things. Our distractions lead us into temptation and away from time with God.

Distractions are one of the greatest barriers between us and the heart of God. Martha had Jesus in the next room for goodness sakes, and still allowed distractions to keep her in the next room. My Bible study states that there are two types of distractions, the ones we can control and the ones we cannot. I know there are many distractions over which we are powerless. But what about those distractions that hold us captive when we have the key to be released…surfing the internet…social media…the news… pleasing others… emails…a basketball game? God is faithful even in the little silly distractions of life that feel big at the time. If we will ‘set our face like flint’ as the Bible says we will not be distracted from what God has called us to do. We will determine to be resolute in not giving way to the lesser things.  “We’re becoming conditioned to distraction, and it’s harming our ability to listen and think carefully, to be still, to pray, and to meditate. Which means it is a spiritual danger, an evil from which we need God’s deliverance” Article, Lord Deliver Me from Distractions - Jon Bloom (Desiring God website).

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Col 3:2