by Krista Pettiford
Are you distracted with much serving? Does your time with Jesus get pushed aside in the busyness of each day?
In the story of Mary and Martha, the two sisters who became friends with Jesus, we see examples of both a distracted and an undistracted lifestyle—how they each chose to live.
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 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” (Luke 10:37-42).
The word distracted in the context of their story means to burden yourself or to drag your cares around with you. Amid the busyness around her, Mary remained undistracted from the one thing that mattered most. On the other hand, Martha was too distracted with her worries and the day's troubles to recognize that the other things could wait. Martha's priorities were out of order. She was neglecting the most important things for the seemingly urgent things. She did not trust that if she sat with Jesus first, He would give her the grace to accomplish her other tasks.
Mary understood the value of sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His words. She understood that Jesus knew better than she did what she needed to focus on that day, that what He deposited in her spirit would help her throughout her day and could not be taken away.
My Martha Years
Like Martha, I've experienced seasons when I've been distracted by life's relentless pull in all directions, losing my focus on what truly matters.
When I became a Christian, I was a wife and a mother of four. A few years into my new life, my marriage crumbled, and I went through a divorce—not the ending I had hoped for. Suddenly, I was a single mother, starting over with four young children, and my life was a whirlwind of stress and juggling new responsibilities.
During that season, my days were consumed by a never-ending to-do list as I tried to fit in everything and everyone, including the Lord and myself. I found myself saying yes to the things that seemed urgent but were not truly important, a season I call my “Martha years.”
In what I now realize was an effort to distract myself from my divorce, I became very busy. I returned to school one night a week to finish my degree and eventually completed two degrees. I also began working full-time. To top it all off, I volunteered at my children's schools and with their various sports teams. Saturdays were for housework and more children's sports. Sunday, of course, was saved for church.
But that's not all. I taught children's church. As a children’s church teacher, I had to prepare lessons and props for my class. I also had my seminary homework to complete, not to mention whatever projects my young children had due for school. I let myself get talked into becoming a consultant after attending a friend’s beauty biz party because I did not know how to say no.
My sleeping pattern was off, and my eating habits were bad. I would fall asleep on the couch, wake up in the middle of the night, and get in bed. I burnt out mentally, physically, and emotionally. I had spread myself too thin. I became too busy to give anyone or anything my undivided attention. Although I was growing in my relationship with the Lord, I did not yet understand the importance of choosing wisely where to give my time, attention, and strength.
Reevaluating my Priorities
I was exhausted and knew things had to change. I needed a lifestyle reset, so I began praying and asking God what to do. Then, one day, during my time with the Lord, reading my Bible, I came across Proverbs 31:16 (AMP), which says,
“She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength], she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.”
Though I had read this passage of Scripture several times, the words suddenly stood out on the page. The Lord used these verses to show me where I had gotten distracted and how to reclaim my time. They became a guiding light to me during that season.
I had not considered the cost of taking on new responsibilities before saying yes. I knew I had to reevaluate my priorities and consider my choices and the reasons for my choices. I had not expanded prudently. Before praying about them, I had said yes to too many things, which left the things that mattered most neglected.
Repenting From my Busyness
One night in a worship service, things changed. While worshiping the Lord, there in His presence, I laid the burdens I had been carrying at His feet. I then realized as Jesus told Martha, "Truly, only a few things are needed."
As I stood worshiping the Lord, caught up in His heavenly presence, He ministered to me and refilled my thirsty soul. All the weight and tiredness fell off. In that moment, I surrendered my plans, my pain from divorce, my pursuits, and my purpose to Him. I whispered to Him, “Lord, whatever you want of me and whatever you want from me, I will do, and I will give.”
That night, I decided to allow the Lord to direct my steps and let go of everything distracting me from fellowship with Him, to be a good steward over the life He had given me, and to focus only on the good works He created me to do.
My priorities came down to my relationship with the Lord and my children—not necessarily every sport and activity they wanted to participate in. There were many. Then, seminary—something the Lord had called me to do (I switched to online classes)—and my job. Everything else had to come to an end for a season. When I left that service, I knew I had to decide how to let go of the other things.
Reclaiming My Time
Surrendering everything to the Lord was the first step. The next day, I was on my way to work, still basking in this newfound place of unburdened surrender, when the Lord told me to make two phone calls. The first to the children’s ministry leader to let her know I would not be able to continue teaching. I gave her a month’s notice and explained that I had said yes without considering my other responsibilities or praying after having already committed to seminary.
Next, I called the friend from the direct-sales beauty products business I had let talk me into becoming a consultant. (I never sold anything; I just bought a lot of stuff.) Even though it was difficult to say no, I told her I was no longer interested. I desired to do the right thing, which meant being upfront and honest. I did not give people all the details, but I did give them the courtesy of a call and a simple explanation. Letting go of things that filled my schedule gave me back the time and energy I needed to focus on the important things.
Returning to the Feet of Jesus
Our works will never replace our relationship with the Lord. Jesus wants us to serve others well but not put serving others above our relationship with Him.
When we prioritize our relationship with Him, He will lead us into the good works He has planned for us.
The last part of Proverbs 31:16 says, “With her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard," which brings to my mind a vision of an undistracted, well-lived life—cultivated when we make Jesus first and focus on what truly matters. When distractions no longer pulled me away from what truly mattered, I had more time to spend at Jesus's feet each morning, hearing His Word and focusing on the things of eternal value.
Time to Reset
But if I'm honest, it is not always easy to live an undistracted lifestyle that focuses on what matters and prioritizes intimate time with Jesus beyond the daily spiritual disciplines of reading the Bible and routine prayer. Our schedules and responsibilities can change season by season. We all go through seasons when busyness gets the best of us.
My children are all grown up now, yet sometimes I still add too much to my to-do list. I've learned to quickly do a reset when I find myself in a spiritual rut by reevaluating my priorities, repenting from my busyness, reclaiming my time, and returning to Jesus' feet.
Beloved, you are not alone if you occasionally become busy and distracted from what matters most. The good news is that we are always close enough to return to Jesus' feet. He's just a reset away. You can download my free 28-Day Lifestyle Reset Workbook at kristapettiford.com
Krista writes and ministers to encourage and equip women as they navigate the ever-changing seasons of life. She loves spending time with Jesus, family, and friends, doing women’s ministry, hiking near the beach, dining at her favorite restaurants, fresh flowers, and reading.
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This story from Luke is one of my favorite passages of scripture! I love and appreciate the encouragement you shared!