My friend and I were driving out of state, enjoying the scenery of rolling hills and the beautiful countryside. Without warning, traffic increased and multiple lanes opened up before us. Still, the landscape was spectacular, and the view lovely. I was a passenger and able to take in all the scenic beauty, but a road sign appeared that caught my attention. It said, “Distracted Driver Corridor,” and though we’d never seen such a sign before, we knew it was completely valid on this particular stretch of the road. The view was captivating, and several drivers zoomed past us, swerving and maneuvering their vehicles into place as they fixed their eyes back on the road and off of the view. Yikes! We had entered the Distracted Driver Corridor, and it had the potential of being very dangerous!
How easily we can become distracted from focusing on the Lord and accomplishing His desires. Most of us can, without thinking two minutes about it, write five distractions that keep us from reading the Word or praying or doing something we sense the Lord nudging us to do. Jobs, school, appointments, hobbies, sickness, sports, meetings, and housework are just a few distractions that weigh us down or clutter our availability for the Lord. Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV) says, therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Jesus had many friends, and one day He stopped to visit Mary and Martha, who loved and served Him. The story goes like this… Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 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." (Luke 10:38-42 NKJV).
Poor Martha. She had entered the Distracted Driver Corridor. While Mary diligently stayed in her lane, sitting at the feet of Jesus to hear all that He had to say, Martha was distracted with much serving (verse 40). I get that! Distractions call to us: “Hey, do something with this sink full of dishes!” Or, “It’ll only take a minute to vacuum the carpet or pull those weeds before reading your Bible.” Or, “Forget calling the elderly shut-in next door—this to-do list is paramount today.” Or, “Run the numbers on that bid just one more time before you go to prayer.” Endless scenarios of distracting situations bombard our daily schedules. Such distractions were present in Mary and Martha’s time, too, and they didn’t have computers or smartphones or cars or vacuum cleaners or any of the automated, electronic devices and tools we have today that pull us away from the important matters of life in Christ.
Choose the good part, friend—the part that will not be taken from you. Time with Jesus is the good part.Serving others is good, unless it keeps us from that good part.Fix your eyes on Jesus, and you will not enter the Distracted Driver Corridor.
© 2021, Chris Werre
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