How To Handle Distractions

We live in what has been called the "Information Age." For the purpose of our topic today, I’d call this age by another name. We have more information at our disposal than any generation before us. We are flooded with bits of information, or as a shrewd person once said- "bytes"?

A much better description of our time would be the "Age of Distraction." Everybody and everything are out to get our attention. Once “they” have your attention, they have a chance at getting your money when you buy their stuff, or your time when you tune in to them. And one way to do that is to distract us from whatever we may have been doing or are trying to do.

So, how do we handle the information overload, as it has been called and how do we handle distractions?

THE KEY TO HANDLE DISTRACTIONS IS TO FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY IS IMPORTANT

A good place to fix our attention upon is the Bible in the story found in Luke 10:38-42. It is the story of Jesus paying a visit to the home of Mary and Martha. In that visit we uncover a woman with focus and attention and a woman who got distracted and frustrated.

Martha – became distracted with many tasks and things to do

Mary – was attentive to Jesus and stuck close to him and his teaching moment.

Here is what Jesus says to busy and distracted 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 from her" (Luke 10:42). Just what is this better part? Mary has decided not to miss out on what she can learn from Jesus while he's in their home. She sits at his feet and listens to what he had to tell her. She's bent on gleaning all she can from the time she has with Jesus. Rather than being distracted by all these other things, she sits in raptured attention, hanging on his every word.

The better part Mary chose was to be able to focus on what really mattered at the moment. To sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from him. That's something that will last long after the meal is over and the dishes have been done and put away. It's something we need to learn today as never before. Our well being depends on it; maybe even our sanity. I venture that's why Jesus is so insistent on it.

God bless you this week!

Reverend Bill McBride