Welcome to the Be and Become podcast, a resource of the Connected Life Ministries. You are listening to another episode in which we connect our life and time with God’s Call and Cause to be and become the followers, workers, and leaders that we are all meant to be.
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Welcome to the Be and Become Communicated, featuring France One Collar, a Heartfort Light and Connected Life Ministry. France Juan's International Ministry equips and encourages pastors, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be. Thank you for joining France One today as he offers a few words of encouragement in God's word.
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It was as a real human being that Jesus also desired the friendship of others, and he found special friends in Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. In John chapter eleven we read that Jesus loved them. He often stayed with them. It was during one of those visits to their home that Jesus spoke a powerful word to Martha that impacted and changed her life forever. What she was doing wrong, according to us, only becomes clear when we place her actions alongside those of Mary. The one was sitting at the feet of Jesus and the other one working in the kitchen. And so we often praise Mary and look at Martha from a negative viewpoint because of that. But however, in the reading through Luke chapter 10 verses 38 to 42, we see that Martha, just like Mary, also sat at the feet of Jesus, but got up at some point to prepare food in verse 39. We see that Mary also helped in the kitchen, but at some point left Martha to go sit at the feet of Jesus in verse forty, because Martha said she has left me. And so when Jesus began to teach, Mary began to listen while Martha continued to prepare and to work in the kitchen. I would think that more than enough food had already been prepared before Jesus even arrived. Jesus did have a habit of giving people advanced notice of his visits. We read in Luke chapter 9, verses 52, and Jesus sent messengers before his face, and as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for him. In chapter 10, verses 1 and also in chapter 22 verses 8 we can read how Jesus sent people before him. So he probably gave them warning of his coming. And Martha, who was the house old hospital person, she probably prepared some food already for him when they showed up, but she wanted to do more. And then the Bible says she got distracted with much serving. The word distracted is used in the New Testament only this once, and literally means to be drawn around, to be twisted, or even to be pulled apart. The idea is that Martha was drawn around and twisted with anxiety and worry. She was distracted from the main thing running here and there, being drawn around by the things going on around her. She was distracted by serving in verse 40. Because of that she became preoccupied with the cares and responsibilities. She became so burdened down, so tired, fatigued, so pressured, so tense that she lost sight of the foremost priority, and because of that she became agitated and critical of those who were not helping her. In verse 41, she was distracted by temporal things in this life as food and necessities and the cares of this world. Now there is a bit of Martha in all of us. We get easily distracted in what we are doing for the Lord, or not being busy with what we are supposed to do, or most importantly what we think we must be busy with. And so we are busy with legitimate things and good, but not the best use of our time and energy. Miriam Webster says that a distraction is an object that directs one's attention away from self something else. A distraction is viewed as a spiritual danger that pulls a person's focus away from God's will through worry, through daily business and activities or good things that we are doing at the wrong time. It also reminds me of Nehemiah when the enemies try to distract him from rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem by calling him to meet with him, but he simply refused the distraction by declaring I am doing a great work, I cannot come down in chapter six verse three. And Peter as he was walking on the water, he was sinking because he looked away from Jesus, allowing the surroundings and the wind and the strong waves and causing a fear in his heart because of distracting his focus away from Jesus. And so the question is am I easy distracted or am I taking time to listen to Jesus? He's doing stuff for Jesus, keeping me busy and away from him. I don't think that Jesus was expecting a three-course meal from Martha. He went to their house to hang out with them as a family and friendship. He was actually looking for their attention. Martha did not need to prepare a feast for Jesus. He would have been happy with just one dish. So there needs to be a balance between what we are doing for the Lord and also in listening to what he is saying to us. We need to recognize the moment that God is in the room or that he is speaking to us and that we can respond to that as we sit and listen to his voice. And so I want to encourage you today. Ask Jesus what he wants you to do, and simply focus on that and just do that. Don't try to do everything or too much for him. And so the question is what areas in your life are distracting you? Martha was distracted by all the things she thought that she had to do. And God wants to identify in your heart and my heart what we are doing for him and then actually what we need to be busy doing for him, because some of us have button off more than we can chew. And so I want to challenge you and also to encourage you at the same time to keep a watchful eye for distractions in your life. Martha allowed those things, good things like cooking and cleaning to distract her from what matters the most. She got distracted by serving, she got distracted by temporal things. And so what is distracting you today? Is it the things that we do or neglect to do, or most importantly, what we think we should be doing? May God help you as you focus your attention on him once again in this day and in this week. May God bless you.
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Thank you for listening to this Be and Become episode with Francois Carr. For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLifeministries.com. We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.
