When Your Mind Won’t Slow Down

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

“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 10:41–42)

Have you ever buttoned a shirt and gotten the first button wrong? You may not notice it right away, but by the time you get to the bottom, everything is off. You can keep trying to straighten things out, but there’s really only one solution. You have to go back and get that first button right. Jesus gives us a similar picture of our priorities in the story of Mary and Martha. Martha had plenty of good things demanding her attention, but in the middle of all that activity, she was missing the one thing she needed most.

Jesus was right there in Martha’s home, but Martha was so distracted by everything that needed to be done that she was missing the moment in front of her. Before long, her stress began spilling over into frustration with her sister and even into her conversation with Jesus. That’s what anxiety and worry can do when they begin to take over. They distract us from the present, make us feel like no one understands what we’re carrying, and often spill into our closest relationships. Jesus gently said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things.” Then He pointed her toward Mary, who had chosen to sit close to Him and listen.

There will always be another problem to solve, another responsibility demanding your attention, and another reason to worry, but Jesus reminds us that one thing is needed. When we make time to be still before Him, we begin to release the things we can’t control. We remember that He is God and we are not. Our perspective changes, our strength is renewed, and we become quiet enough to hear His voice again. Just like that first button, when we get the most important thing in the right place, everything else begins to line up the way it should.

Bold Step Challenge:
Take some time this week to get the “first button” right. Before you reach for your phone, your schedule, or your to-do list, spend a few quiet minutes with God. Open His Word, bring Him what’s weighing on you, and give Him space to speak into your day.

Prayer:
Dear God, it’s easy for me to become distracted by everything that needs my attention. Help me remember what matters most. Teach me to slow down, sit in Your presence, and release the things I cannot control. Quiet my heart so I can hear Your voice, and help me put You first so everything else in my life can find its proper place. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Listen to the sermon: series title here

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