We hope you enjoy this re-post from March 22, 2015. Be blessed! The Today’s Quote From God Team

But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]! – Luke 10:40, Amplified Bible (AMP)

The story is familiar. While frantically serving her house guests, Martha complained to Jesus that her sister Mary wasn’t helping. Instead of hearing Jesus command Mary to quit being “lazy,” Christ instead encouraged Martha to set aside her chores and do what Mary was doing, which was getting to know Him (Christ) better.

The lesson usually drawn from this passage, like the story itself, is also familiar: don’t let the frenzy of life keep you from spending time worshipping God. Go to church. Read your Bible. Pray. Set aside the distractions of life long enough to do these things.

Many Christians have understood this lesson and have endeavored to take their regular, daily position at Jesus’ feet. But, unfortunately, many Christians have stopped short of following Mary’s complete example. In other words, their bodies are in the right place, but theirs hearts and minds are not.

You’ve done it, and so have I. We’ve gone to church, but we haven’t heard a word that the Sunday School teacher or pastor has said. We’ve read our daily Bible passage, but we haven’t any clue what we’ve read once we’re done. We’ve prayed, but by the end of our prayer time we’ve not spoken in our minds to anyone but ourselves. Why, in each of these situations, have we failed to follow Mary’s complete example? Because we were busy thinking about the cares of this world even though our bodies were at Jesus’ feet.

To follow Mary’s full example we can’t just be in position to worship; we must be in mindset to worship. It’s one thing to go to church, to read our Bibles, and to pray. It’s another thing to concentrate on building our relationships with God – and nothing else – while we are engaged in these activities. Think about it. How do you feel when you are trying to spend time with someone, and all that someone does in your presence is write emails, craft texts, take phone calls, and check out Facebook on his/her smartphone? You feel unwelcome, ignored, and lightly valued! So does God when we allow our minds to wander when we should be focused on Him.

Following Mary’s example doesn’t mean we just quiet our bodies from the activities that steal us away from God. It includes – nay, it is dependent upon – us quieting our minds from the same. Of course, casting aside the distractions of life is much easier said than done, but it can be done. As with all of the challenges of the Christian life, we can rise to this one through Christ which strengthens us if we will just call on Him to supply us with will and the power to do His good pleasure. Worshipping God without distraction is part of what brings Him pleasure, so be sure to call upon His supernatural enabling the next time you sit at His feet. You (and the Lord) will be blessed by it!