I don’t know about you, but it seems like every time I try to start a new devotional routine or set aside time for God, distractions make their presence known. Whether it be a crying baby, a sick toddler, a random phone call, an urgent email, or my raging ADHD, something ALWAYS seems to arise! I then find myself pointing a finger at God and saying, “Why all these distractions, Lord, don’t you want me to spend time with you?”
Did you know that there is a term for distraction that comes from the scriptures? In Luke chapter ten, we are told that Martha was busy preparing her house for Jesus’ arrival. The text tells us that she was “perispaō,” which is Greek for “to be driven about mentally” —a pretty fantastic description of distraction, if you ask me! But Jesus goes a step further, saying that Martha is “worried and bothered about too many things.” This Greek phrase, “merimnaō ai thorybazō,” translates as “being disturbed or disquieted about or by one’s own self-interests.” So, in full transparency and according to scripture, Martha was being disturbed and driven about mentally because of her own self-interests, instead of focusing on Jesus. Does that sound familiar?
This world will ALWAYS have distractions, and some of them are indeed things we need to take into account with urgency. But, more often than not, they are mere distractions that draw our attention away from Jesus. We throw up our hands and give up on finding that quiet devotional time — or even just moments with our Savior — so quickly. This is not because of anything God is doing, but merely the byproduct of our refusal to truly dedicate moments to Him.
