Things That MatterSample

THE ENEMY OF PURPOSE

If pursuing things that matter is so great, why aren’t more of us actually going after our dearest goals? In a word, because of distractions. Things get in the way.

For Martha, the friend of Jesus, her own expectations about the demands of hospitality took a higher place than sitting at the feet of her Savior. “Martha, Martha,”the Lord chided her,“ you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one” (Luke 10:41-42). And then Jesus made this important statement: “Mary has chosen what is better.”

Don’t we all want to stand before Jesus and hear him say, “You chose what is better”?

Then we must remember that the enemy of intentionality and a life lived to the glory of God is distraction.

Now, of course, not all distractions are wrong all the time. Many times, there’s nothing wrong with doing things that divert our minds—watching a TV show, or reading a novel, or gardening, or whatever else entertains or relaxes us. The problem begins when distractions take over our lives and push out more important pursuits.

Indulging in distractions can go from being an occasional pastime to becoming an ingrained part of our lifestyles. This is what happens when we spend all our spare time gam­ing. Or we exercise so much that our working out doesn’t give us en­ergy; it uses up our energy. Or we shop for hours because we don’t want to go home. Or career ambitions become workaholism. For Martha, a concern for housekeeping (or maybe it was trying to impress her guests) got out of hand.

If this kind of behavior continues, then we’re at risk of getting to the end of our lives and wondering, Why did I waste this life on things that don’t matter? I wish I had more time.

It has been said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you discover the reason why.” I like to add a third: the day you throw off the distractions that keep you from it. So let me ask, are you ready to deal with your distractions and throw off all lesser pursuits? What’s holding you back?