“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.” Proverbs 4:20

We are bombarded with so many distractions every day. It takes a conscious effort on our part to remain focused and do the things in life that are truly needed.

Think of the story of Martha receiving Jesus into her home. Her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, paying attention to Him and taking in every word. But Martha was busy in the kitchen, preparing everything so it was perfect for her guests. Naturally, she became frustrated with her sister, who wasn’t doing anything to help out:

“[Martha] came to [Jesus] and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:38).

Like Martha, we tend to be worried and distracted, giving attention to the challenges around us instead of the Word of God. But the only thing that’s needed is to be like Mary, to sit at the feet of Jesus, soaking in His presence and His Word.

Are you giving attention to the Word? Are you hearing from Him? Or have you allowed the distractions of the world keep you from listening to Jesus? Instead of fixating on life’s challenges, meditate on the Word so that you can hear from Him.

Lord, give me the wisdom to deal with the distractions in my life that are keeping me from attending to Your Word. Amen.

By Folasade Oladapo
used by permission

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FURTHER READING

Spiritual Distractions

How Distractions May Lead Us to a Slow Fade

When Silence is More Than Being Quiet

The post Only One Thing is Needed appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”  I Timothy 4:8

A recent article in the Washington Post caught my eye. It was entitled: Exercise Could Slow Aging.  It was an interesting read. It seems that active people have cells that look younger on a molecular level than those of couch potatoes. The bottom line was that there is strong evidence to show that exercise may stave off aging. People who exercise regularly look and feel younger and actually live longer.

Paul spoke of physical training in his first letter to Timothy and noted that while physical training has some value, godliness is of even greater value. He was talking about the exercise of being close to God through prayer and the study of the Word.

Pastors talk about church growth, and usually are referring to numerical growth, getting more members for the church. But, I believe that when the Bible talks about ‘church growth’ it refers to ‘spiritual growth’. We are directed to grow in our knowledge and faith. The task of adding more believers to the church belongs to God. Our church growth task is to grow in our relationship with Jesus.

Our individual task of growth with Jesus comes through the daily discipline of quiet time, Bible reading and study and concentrated prayer. It is a program of spiritual exercise. I once heard of a book entitled Working Out with the Word of God.  We all need a daily workout with God.

In today’s world, there is so much emphasis on being physically fit. Perhaps many of you have been influenced by the drive to “get into shape.” The benefits of entering into a physical fitness program are many. You will have a healthier body and probably live longer. You will have more stamina. You will look better, feel better about yourself, and be able to relate to others with more confidence.

While it is good to be concerned with physical training, it is even better to be concerned with spiritual training. We are not only “physical” beings, but we also have a spiritual dimension to our lives.

Yes, with good physical fitness, we will live longer and ultimately die with a healthier body, but spiritual fitness goes beyond the grave. Are you committed to the daily discipline of getting and being spiritually fit?

by John Grant
used by permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney.

RELATED READING

• Bible Study on the book of Colossians
• Bible Study on the Book of James
• Where to Start Reading the Bible

The post Spiritual Exercise appeared first on Thoughts About God.