Caught Up in the Moment

Romans 12 : 1 – 2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. -NKJV

Luke 10 : 40 – 42, But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." -NKJV

There’s nothing like watching children play with their new toys on Christmas morning. The excitement level in our sons would increase as the moment to open the gifts drew closer. Finally, the moment arrived, and the paper would begin to fly everywhere. After the presents were open, the boys couldn’t play with just one toy for any length of time. They were easily distracted with all that was happening around them.

Distractions are a part of our everyday life. These distractions are why we have to train ourselves to concentrate when our attention is needed. This attention is especially true while we’re driving. If we are distracted while driving, it could be dangerous. In the same way, the enemy will attempt to take our attention away from the Lord to ensnare us in his trap.

In the story of Martha, we read that she was consumed with her duties in the kitchen while Mary listened to Jesus. Out of her frustration, Martha got upset with Jesus because He wouldn’t force Mary to help her. Can you imagine telling Jesus to do something as if He was your servant? Martha did.

In Romans 12, Paul teaches us to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto the Lord which is our reasonable service. Mary chose to present herself to the Lord and be taught, but Martha was preoccupied.

In the context of Paul’s teaching, we are instructed to present ourselves to the Lord and avoid being conformed to the dictates of this world. As I stated earlier, distractions are inevitable. Therefore, we must not allow them to keep us from the Lord, or it will adversely affect us spiritually.

Martha allowed the pressure of the event to cause her to get caught up in the moment, and she showed disrespect to Jesus. This pressure can just as easily happen to us when we allow distractions to take us away from having quality time in the presence of the Lord. If we allow the pressures of this world to take over our heart’s attention, we will begin to conform to them.

Perhaps you’ve been in an environment that seemed heavy or intense, and before you knew it, you were being influenced by it. Our environment or the atmosphere around us can cause us to conform to its influence, like Martha in the kitchen.

In this fast-pace world, we need to remind ourselves regularly to keep our attention on the Lord. Instead of having the world dictate how our day is going to go, we should allow God’s presence to lead us through it in peace. We are the one who decides how our day is going to affect us.

Pastor Asa Dockery