Don’t Be a Distracted Ditz!
By: Carletta Traylor aka C.N.
Alas! The “Are These Women Crazy?!” series has officially begun (I’m a woman, and I’m more coo-coo than Cocoa Puffs! Where’s my almond milk?! Haha)! To begin, I’m not using this Bible series just to pick on women; I will be following up this series with a “Are These Dudes Nuts?!” counterpart (I’m an equal opportunity life roaster. Haha). When God created us, he gave us free will-the ability to think for ourselves and make our own decisions. God knew that some of us wouldn’t be able to handle such privilege-we would start acting like wild orangutans (ooh-ooh, ah-ah! That’s why some people believe in Evolution; we do act like apes at times. Haha), would delve into every area of sin (bad things that we say, do, don’t do, or think) that we could think of, and would focus on the wrong things (who cares if your socks smell like Axe when they come out of the pack?! Haha). When we focus on the wrong things, this often leads to everyone’s favorite….worry.
When we worry about someone or something, we think about that person or thing all the time, non-stop, without a break in between (we drive ourselves up a wall thinking about it/him/her!). We’ve all thought about someone or something so much (whether it be work, money, our families, our health, finding love, the state of the world, etc.) that we can’t think of anything else and are completely distracted from what’s truly important (why are you worrying about how your hair looks when a Ford F-150 is flying through your front window?! That man isn’t paying you any mind! Goofy! Haha). When we allow our minds to run rampant (run like the wind, Bullseye!), we tend to lose focus of the most important thing in our lives-our relationship with God, through his son, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This brings us to the story of Jesus entering Mary and Martha’s house in the Bible.
In the 10th Chapter of Luke, Jesus (with his disciples) is in the middle of his three-year earthly ministry (teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God). Mary and Martha, who are sisters (we remember when Jesus raised their brother, and his buddy, Lazarus, from the dead->”All Rise! That Means You, Lazarus.”-https://jesusbedtimestories.com/all-rise-that-means-you-lazarus/), have opened up their home to Jesus-Jesus is here! Jesus is here! Jesus is here! During those days, it was custom for Jewish women to prepare the rabbi’s (teacher’s) food and clean up their homes while the rabbi was present. While Martha was running around like a chicken with its’ head cut off (where’s the vacuum?! Where’s the duster?! Where’s the good china?! Slow down, girl! Haha), Mary immediately sat at Jesus’s feet-the Savior of the world was in her home, and she wanted to spend time with, learn from, and build her relationship with him (Mary is smarter than a 5th grader, y’all! Ding! Ding! Ding! Winner! Jackpot! Here’s what you’ve won! Haha). Mary was a rebel (bump the rules! I’m pretty and radical! I’m talking to Jesus right now! The Messiah’s in the house! Ooh! Ooh! He’s in the hizzy fo-shizzy! Ooh! Ooh! Sing along now: My God! My God! My God! Talking about my God! My God (The Temptations don’t have anything on Jesus Christ! Haha)!), but she didn’t care-she wanted to spend time with her Savior (my girl! Haha).
While Mary was sitting at Jesus’s feet, Martha was more concerned with serving the lamb chops and juice; this fool had the audacity to ask Jesus the following question:
Luke 10:40 (KJV): Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
Really, Martha?! Really?! Really?! Did you just seriously ask Jesus if he cares that Mary left you to do all of the cleaning and serving? Furthermore, did you seriously just tell Jesus Christ, the MESSIAH OF THE WORLD, to tell Mary to come help you serve your little funky fish sticks?! I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that Martha was stuck on stupid, as she’s the same one who starting popping off at the mouth about Lazarus STANKING (from being dead and buried for four days) when Jesus asked her to roll the stone away from his gravesite (Jesus didn’t ask for your opinion, clown! He told you to roll the stone away! He’s about to raise your brother from the dead! Haha). Jesus knew that Martha was a hot and discombobulated mess, but instead of getting upset with her, Jesus responded as follows:
Luke 10:41-42 (KJV): And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Jesus explained to Martha that she was worried about a million different things, but the thing that she SHOULD have been concerned about, and which Mary was concerned about, was getting her life right with God; we are to concern ourselves with repenting of our sins (turning away from our sins), believing that Jesus Christ is God’s son, died on the Cross for our sins, and rose on the 3rd day (with all power in his hands), committing ourselves to following him, and putting him first in everything that we do, that we will not perish, but have everlasting life (paraphrasing John 3:16 (KJV)). We’ll be partying in Heaven forever, y’all (ain’t no party like a Holy Ghost party, ‘cuz a Holy Ghost party don’t stop! Haha)!
Mary cared about spending time with Jesus-God wants our attention and time (prayer, reading his Holy Word (the Bible), going to Bible study, etc.) over just merely doing things for him (baking cookies, singing in the choir, being a deacon, being a pastor, etc.)-, which is what he wants from us. Jesus wants our hearts and for us to truly know and want to learn more about him, not just do things for him because we “think” that is what we should do. Jesus explained to Martha that Mary was concerned about the right thing (the good part), knowing him, and this would never be taken away from her (this would ensure Mary’s place with him in Heaven forever. Hallelujah! Haha). Knock it off with the unnecessary distractions, Martha! Haha
This is my stuff, y’all! My remix-o-meter is going crazy right now! Haha I wonder how things would have played out had this story happened today? Let’s find out! NOTE: I’ll be utilizing modern-day language, technology, and ways of living in this story, as we’re picturing this happening today.
Don’t Be A Distracted Ditz!
By: Carletta Traylor aka C.N.
Biblical Reference: Luke 10:38-42 (KJV)
*Jesus Christ and his disciples are traveling throughout Jerusalem, teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God (Jesus is about his Daddy’s business, y’all! Haha). Two sisters, Mary and Martha, have invited Jesus into their home (the Savior is here! The Savior is here! Pop the Sunny D!), but their reaction to him is very different. Martha is worried about cooking, cleaning, and serving Jesus’s food (it was custom for Jewish women to cook and clean while a rabbi (teacher) was in their homes), while Mary drops everything and sits at Jesus’s feet-she wants to grow in her relationship with her Lord and Savior (thata’ girl! Haha). Martha wants Mary to help her serve the food, but Jesus sees things a little differently*
Martha (talking to herself): I can’t believe that Mary isn’t in here helping me cook, clean, and serve Jesus’s food! All she does is lay up, sleep, and watch reality TV (if I see one more episode of Living With the Kardashians, I’m going to scream! That show is TRASH with a capital TRASH! Haha). Jesus is hungry, and all she’s doing is sitting at his feet, talking his head off, and probably making him wish he had taken that $15 trip to Jamaica after all (jerk chicken for everyone! Mmmm, jerk chicken. Haha). Let me get her lazy behind in here.
*Martha meets Jesus and Mary in the living room-they took the plastic off of the couches before Jesus arrived. Smart women. Haha*
Martha (to Jesus Christ): My Lord, I don’t mean to bother you, but doesn’t it bother you that my sister is just sitting here like a squatter, doing nothing, talking your head off (listening to what she wants to listen to-y’all know that she has selective hearing), while I’m in here slaving over a hot stove? She knew that you were coming and that you’d be hungry, yet she hasn’t done anything to get your food to you any faster-made you a plate, brought you some rolls, offered you a bottle of water, nothing! Please tell her to come in here and help me!
Mary: I will do what you say, my Lord.
JESUS CHRIST: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha: What do you mean, Lord?
JESUS CHRIST: Mary has sat at my feet because she wants to learn from me; she wants to grow in me; she wants to develop a closer relationship with me. One cannot see Heaven if he or she doesn’t know me. A person can say that he or she is doing many things to please my father (God Almighty)-pastoring a church, singing in a choir, fasting, cooking, cleaning, etc.-but if that person does not spend time with me and get to know me on an intimate level (truly knowing God through prayer, reading the Bible, attending Sunday School, attending Bible Study, attending Sunday morning service, etc.), his or her activities don’t mean a thing to me. I want your heart, not just your action. Mary realizes this and is sitting here to learn from me; this is what I want, and no one will ever be able to take that away from her. *Sit it down, Martha! Haha*
Martha: I’m so sorry, my Lord. I’ve been so distracted lately that I haven’t been focusing on you like I need to. I’ve been worrying myself crazy about work, money, wanting to get married, wanting to have a family of my own, and so many other things; I haven’t been spending enough time in your presence (that would explain why your prayer mat is brand new and your Bible is collecting dust in the corner. It’s the bread of life, not a coaster (get that Pepsi off of it! Haha)!). Please forgive me, Lord, and help me to do better. May I join you all?
JESUS CHRIST: You are forgiven, my dear daughter. Please join us.
*Martha sits herself down (finally!), and she and Mary have a wonderful conversation with Jesus. Mary and Martha both serve Jesus, Jesus absolutely LOVES the meal (they really put their feet into that shrimp fettuccine, y’all! YASSSSS, baby!), and the sisters truly get to know Jesus on a more personal level. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, but he’s also our friend. He knows what we’re going through; he feels our pain; he loves us and will always be here for us. Praise the Lord for that (Lord knows I need help. Haha)!*
I hope that you all enjoyed today’s story! I love you all, God bless you all, and I’ll see you all on the next one!
-Carletta
Jesus wants our hearts. Yes, it is important to do things that are right like go to church to praise Him, be kind to one another, etc etc. However, if we do all those things merely because we are afraid we’ll be entitled as sinners if we don’t, then that’s not the right motivation.
Matthew 7:21 says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
What is our Lord Father’s will then? It refers to obedience to God’s revealed will for how we should live. If we do things He loves us doing with all of our hearts, then that’s good, right? 🙂
Keep up your wonderful work. God bless you!
Thank you so much, Ferra! It’s a shame that so many people have mistaken having a true relationship with Jesus Christ for doing things out of obligation to him, or because we don’t want to go to Hell (and want to be in Heaven). When Jesus has our hearts and the Holy Spirit truly dwells within us, what we do has a true, divine impact. Praise the Lord for that! God bless you!
I think you are making a good point. I always loved the Mary and Martha story. Too many times people will find themselves more in Martha, worrying about obligations, trying to be “good” and doing what is right. So many times, it is about being in the moment, being present, realizing the holiness right in front of us and not worrying so much about the little things in life. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you so much, Manuela! Jesus Christ wants our hearts-to do anything without truly having a relationship with him is just going through the motions, and it won’t mean a thing. God wants us to be present with him, and for the Holy Spirit to truly dwell within us; this is where true power comes from. I’m so happy that you enjoyed my story! God bless you!
What a great bible story! It helps remind us of the most important things in life. I appreciated the way you told the story. You put a lot of zest in the story that makes it engaging for children. Thank you for your post!
Thank you so much, Robert! I’m so happy that you enjoyed my story. I will definitely keep them coming. God bless you!
Yes, it’s a fact so many aren’t taking the time to get to know our Lord and Savior.
I would like to say though, there are other places to get to know him outside of
the church. I am more in touch with God when I am in nature. That is when I
choose to listen and bond with God. My conversation with the Lord flows effortlessly
while driving in my car, taking a long walk, or just sitting with my coffee on a
beautiful morning. Also, through meditation I have learned beautiful things about
God.
This story is a very good reminder for people to relax into their relationship with
God and stop trying to impress others.
Thank you so much, Teresa! With everything going on, it’s so easy for us to become distracted by our problems-Satan comes as a lion, looking to steal, kill, and destroy. God wants us to grow in him-one must truly have a relationship with Jesus Christ to overcome the tricks of the enemy. While I agree that we can connect with God anywhere and everywhere, it is still important for us to congregate in his church, as this allows for proper and detailed discipleship (we must learn how to pray, how to read and interpret the Bible, how to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, how to truly know Jesus Christ). Let us be careful not to neglect the Lord’s house, as the Bible does speak of the importance of being in congregation with the saints. God bless you!
I liked the message in your story. You kept my attention using a conversational style and humor. Using references that makes sense of this happened today added more interest.
It is so easy to get distracted by trivial things in our lives that focusing on the important things can go by the wayside. Like listening to the teachings of Jesus. And then acting on it.
Thanks for beginning this to our attention.
Edwin
Thank you so much, Edwin! Satan is a sly lion, looking to steal, kill and destroy as many people as possible. If he can’t draw us away from God (through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ), he’ll try to distract us so that we’re not focused on him like we should be (TV, life, etc.). It’s so important that we stay in prayer, the Word of God (the Holy Bible), and in community with like-minded believers in Jesus Christ (church)-this is how we will grow and develop in our relationship with Jesus Christ. God gave me a sense of humor, and I’ll continue to use it for his glory! Haha I’m so happy that you enjoyed my story! God bless you!
Another hit!!
Thanks so much for this story. It’s an important reminder that we don’t get to heaven by “works” but by our relationship with our Lord.
Unfortunately, too many people believe they have to earn their way to heaven, which is so misunderstood. Yes, we need to have a servant attitude, but doing good works is having a Christ-like attitude. It’s not earning points for entry, lol.
Keep up the great work. I love your stories.
Blessings on you,
Suzanne
Thank you so much, Suzanne! As the Bible says, our works and righteousness are like filthy rags to God; we could never earn our way into Heaven. The only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father, but by me). When we value our relationship with Jesus Christ over religion (going through the ritualistic motions), that will have a divine impact. Heaven is looking mighty nice right now! Haha God bless you!
We often worry about so many things driving ourselves crazy and thus forgetting what is truly important in life. This Bible story is a good reminder to stop dilly dallying all over the place like dear Martha and focus on what truly matters, like Mary does.
It is a good reminder for me.
Thank you for another great story telling 🙂
Thank you so much, Christine! Satan is always trying to distract us in our walk with God, but if we’re grounded in our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, we’ll have the power to overcome Satan’s; tricks. Life is full of many distractions, but they can only sway us if we allow them to-thank God that he gives us an out! Haha God bless you!
I love the way you bring the story to life with your captivating writing style.
Distraction is everywhere these days. But our faith helps to keep us grounded and shows us the true path we should be following. The lord is everywhere at all times.
Thank you very much for the great article.
Thank you so much, Lisa! Satan is a sly trickster, looking to steal, kill and destroy as many people/souls as he can; if he can’t get us to turn away from God, he’ll try to distract us from him. Satan, get thee behind us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! God is certainly everywhere at all times, and if we just focus and pay attention, we’ll find him and hear his voice. God bless you!
I am one of those goofy’s that know nothing about the bible, or hardly anything. But your stories make me laugh. Which is funny because I always thought the bible was very serious and should be seen in a grave manner. I love it that it doesn’t have to be that way 😀
Thank you so much, Hannie! God loves us and wants us to enjoy his world and his Holy Word-we must be ready, willing, able, and excited to learn about and develop a relationship with him (thank you, Jesus!). The Bible itself discusses the importance of laughter, and I fully believe that God has a sense of humor. Haha God bless you!
You’ve such a creative and fun way of creating these stories, it’s so unique! I also love the humour you punch into it, and the fact that you learn something at the same time. Keep up the good work.
Looking forward to your attach of the dudes.
Thank you so much, Sharon! God definitely has a sense of humor. Haha I’m looking forward to roasting the dudes like chestnuts on an open fire as well! Haha God bless you!
Great post! Your site is always uplifting, especially in these troubling times we are all living through. The way you put the story together with using modern language was great!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, John! God blessed me with a sense of humor, and I fully intend on using it for his glory (thank you, Jesus!)! I’m glad that you enjoyed my story! God bless you!
This is such a great depiction of how we should approach our relationship with God – seeing Jesus as our friend – especially the way the story explains that Martha was so distracted. Just like we live day to day being distracted with things that take away our focus from Jesus. Our thoughts also keep us busy and distracted when we should be in prayer, meditation, and communicating with the Lord. A reminder that setting aside time to fellowship with God is so important, that is how we can find calm and peace to then do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. These stories are so well written for children and the enjoyment of us adults to. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Ola! Satan is sneaky, and if he can’t take us away from God, he’ll try to distract us from him (Satan, get thee behind us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!). It’s so easy for us to become distracted by life’s problems and activities, but God wants us to truly know him and develop a relationship with him through his son, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Once God has our hearts, our actions have meaning. I’m so happy that you enjoyed my story! God bless you!
Thank you for the post, sometimes we get distracted by so many things happening in our lives. We need to clear our thoughts and focus on getting to know Jesus! Hope you have a lovely day.
Take care
Mariski
Thank you so much, Mariski! Satan will certainly try to distract us from developing a true relationship with Jesus Christ, but if we stay in prayer, stay in his Holy Word, and surround ourselves with spiritual brothers and sisters (who will keep us responsible and accountable), we’ll be in a much better position to fight off the enemy’s attacks. God bless you!
I think in today’s day and age, it is so easy to get distracted by the noise of the world and by technology. It is so easy to lose sight of what really matters. I think maybe Martha was so used to being busy, that maybe she forgot how to sit still and be with the Lord. I think that can happen to us if we aren’t careful and mindful. Thank you for writing these stories with such humor and grace.
Thank you so much, Amanda! Life is certainly full of distractions, and Satan will use these to draw us away from God; Satan, get thee behind us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! We must all stop, take a deep breath, and refocus on God; when we fully devote ourselves to the Father, amazing things happen. God bless you!
This story is wonderful, I really agree with the message that is being said. I try not to think about things too much, especially things that I cannot handle. Because at the end of the day the only thing that’s important is knowing the God made me live to see another day, and that our relationship is stronger than ever before.
Thank you so much, Joshua! Waking up in the morning is truly a blessing from God (he didn’t allow death’s angel to take us away during the night), and that should instantly prompt us to thank him for his goodness, grace and mercy. Satan will always try to distract us in our walk with the Lord, but we must tell him to get thee behind us, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! I’m so happy that you enjoyed my post! God bless you!
Thank you for this bible story. It has made me aware that I need to learn to be more grateful of which I am now everyday.
Often times petty things distract us so we wont reach out big goals.
Thank you for making the story so readable and understandable.
Thank you so much, Thabo! Satan will always try to distract us from God, God’s purposes, and what truly matters (Satan, get thee behind us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!), but if we stay close to God in prayer and by getting into his Holy Word, we’ll be able to fight off Satan’s attacks. God bless you!