My wife Teresa is one of the most disciplined and steadfast people I have ever known. Her faithfulness has motivated me for over half a century to move to a higher place. It is not my nature to remain focused, it is something that I have to strive to do. Teresa lives a focused life as a part of her steadfast life. Which came first? I'm not sure but they certainly work together and are necessary. If I walk through the room and she is in her devotional time, (Bible reading and prayer time) I've learned not to interrupt. If I try she often doesn't even hear me! She is able to live, for the most part, above distractions. I struggle with that. I think at one time I even liked being the problem solver more than the visionary leader. I have often used the excuse that my years serving as a pastor caused me to be a problem solver. I see, I engage and at times I conquer. But more often than not I am distracted from the real mission before me. Too many times I have been on a God given mission and became distracted by a problem and left the mission for the problem.
When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was lazy and not helping as much as she thought she needed to be doing. The Scripture puts the finger on Martha's problem. The Bible says she was "distracted." Every time I'm involved in the discussion of Mary and Martha I enjoy saying, "yeah but, it was Martha's house. Mary didn't even have a house. Martha was a worker!" But...Jesus didn't seem impressed with Martha's attitude in this Divine moment of fellowship with King Jesus! We can miss the Presence of Jesus and we can miss real revival because of what seems like important things. In Martha's case, intimacy with Jesus was affected by a wrong focus.
Today I hear talk about a need for revival. But in all honesty I hear more talk about politics, political parties and elections than I do about spiritual revival from the presence of Jesus. What if God sends revival to America? Will the church even know the Lord has visited? Or will the church of today be more like Martha who was blind to the real life changing spiritual moment for some worldly political argument that will pass away at the return of Christ. May we be good Americans but may we be better followers of Jesus. Let's shake ourselves from the distractions of our day and hour and press in to know and follow Jesus as never before! The presence of Jesus can do more in a moment than man and his systems can accomplish in a lifetime.
