But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

 

~Luke 10:40-42 ESV

Distractions and rumble strips. Dan was on a tight schedule as he drove across the county. His eyes grew tired as he fought sleep and the distractions of the road. As his eyes fluttered, the highway and rumble strips on the side faded from his sight.

Rumble Strips

Without warning, the terrifying sound of the rumble strips awoke Dan. He was only seconds from crashing into the trees that lined the interstate. As his heart pounded, he immediately slowed down and pulled to the shoulder of the highway. Dan thought, Wow, those rumble strips saved my life.

Distractions

In Luke 10, distractions caused Martha to be concerned with earthly cares. By being concerned about the temporariness of this life, she lost focus on eternal things. In the same way, distractions can cause us to lose focus on our walk with God. News headlines can desensitize us, making us non-sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s movements.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  

~Colossians 3:1-2 ESV

Eternal Things

Eternal things have not always been on my mind. On such occasions, I find myself going down a dead-end street named Distraction. But then God allows rumble strips to get my mind off earthly things and refocus on the things that matter eternally. I will always be thankful for the rumble strips. A child of God never belongs on a dead-end street called Distraction.

What distractions cause you to lose focus? What rumble strips has God put in your life to refocus you?

Lord, I pray that I will stay focused on eternal things. However, if I lose focus, please put rumble strips in my path to help me regain my focus. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2023: Distractions and Rumble Strips: Ed Chappelle: All Rights Reserved