DISTRACTIONS!!                                                                     December 2, 2015

This year I literally prayed, “God, please help me not hate Christmas this year.”  What a horrible thing to have to pray!!  Why in the world would I feel the need pray that?  It’s because in the past, I have let every other thing distract me from the real meaning of Christmas.  That’s probably why I’m writing this devotional.  It’s true.  This is for me, not for anyone else. J

But we often do that, don’t we?  ESPECIALLY at Christmas.  We’re so focused on getting the right gifts, having the house perfectly clean and beautifully decorated when people come over, preparing the most delicious food, having the most beautiful tree.  Blah, blah, blah.  We can be so DISTRACTED that we miss the relationship that’s available to us.   

Martha did that, you know.  Jesus was at her house, so she HAD to make everything perfect!  The house had to be cleaned with her new Swiffer mop, the decorations she had pinned to Pinterest had to be made, the Food Network recipes had to be cooked, the Martha Stewart table had to be set!  There was so much to do!  And that doggone lazy sister of hers, Mary, didn’t lift a finger to help.  Noooooo.  She’s too busy sitting in the living room listening to Jesus talk.  Well, Martha had had enough of that nonsense, so she asked Jesus to back her up. 

She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:40-42 NLT

Oh snap!  Jesus told her to chill out!   

I think Jesus would probably tell us the same thing today!  He would say “you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential” (MSG).  Sit down at my feet, spend time with Me. I’m the reason for the season.  I’ll help you with the rest.  But now, focus on me.  Got it?  Got it!   

Prayer for today:

Dear Jesus, I thank you that your Word gives me wisdom in every area of my life.  Even in the area of being so distracted with other things that I miss you.  Please help me focus on YOU today, the real reason for the season.  And I know that  you will help me sort through the details of my day when I choose to put you first.