Introduction

Are You A Mary or A Martha?

Now as they were traveling along, Jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations, and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42, NIV)

Section 1

Have you ever wondered if you are more like Mary or Martha? This story often causes trouble because some people think Martha was right to be concerned about all the work that needed to be done. But let's take a closer look.

Martha was busy preparing everything for Jesus and the guests. She wanted to give Him her best and make it a special occasion. However, something negative happened. Instead of it being a joyful event, Martha became upset and distracted. She approached Jesus and accused Him of not caring because her sister Mary wasn't helping her.

Section 2

But here's the thing: Martha's focus had shifted from Jesus to the tasks at hand. She was so caught up in serving that she wasn't truly paying attention to Jesus. Could it be that we also get so busy serving God that we forget to listen to Him?

Of course, taking care of basic necessities like food is important. But what if food becomes our primary focus? What if it becomes more important than our relationship with Jesus? Jesus Himself said, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4, NIV). We need to remember that life is about more than just physical needs.

Section 3

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in busyness and lose focus. We rush from one thing to another, always talking about how much we have to do and how little time we have. But maybe what we really need is to stop rushing and start resting in Jesus. Instead of worrying about so many things, let's refocus on what truly matters.

When we lose focus, several negative things can happen. First, we may start questioning whether God cares for us. We might accuse Him of not paying attention to our needs or not intervening in our situations. But the truth is, God always cares for His children. He promises to never desert us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Even when it seems like He is silent, He knows what we're going through and watches over us.

Second, when we lose focus, we tend to find fault with others. Just like Martha blamed her sister Mary for not helping, we can become angry and take our frustrations out on those around us. But the Bible warns against anger and encourages us to be slow to speak and slow to anger (James 1:19-20). Associating with hot-tempered people can also lead us astray (Proverbs 22:24-25).

Lastly, losing focus can lead us into self-pity. We may start feeling sorry for ourselves and think that life is unfair. Martha felt that she was being treated unfairly and that no one cared about her. But self-pity only brings us down and blinds us to the blessings around us.

Conclusion

The cure for losing focus is simple: refocusing on Jesus. Unless we intentionally focus on Him, we will inevitably focus on something else. Jesus is the key to true treasure and fulfillment. Building our relationship with Him should be our primary focus, and everything else will fall into place.

So, as we navigate through this busy world, let's make sure our focus is always on Jesus. Let's choose the good part, like Mary did, and prioritize our relationship with Him above all else. In doing so, we will find true joy and peace.

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