Multitasking is talked about a lot in today’s society. Used properly, it can make us more productive. Used wrongly, such as trying to text someone while driving, it can end really badly. We need to have a balanced attitude towards work and multitasking. One day Jesus visited the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was ‘distracted by all the preparations that had to be made’, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and soaked up everything He had to say. She was determined not to miss this moment in Jesus’ presence. And Jesus said that Mary made a better choice than Martha did. He didn’t tell Martha not to work; He told her that she was ‘worried and upset about many things’ (v.41 NIV). She had become more concerned with what she needed to get done than Who she was with. Jesus wants us to work hard, but He also wants us to be wise enough to realise when we should stop what we’re doing so we don’t miss His presence in the moment. We live in a world where excessive multitasking is normal – for example, we often have half an eye on our phones while we’re working, eating or watching TV. Instead we need to train ourselves to focus our full attention on what we’re involved in at any given time. And then finish it before starting something else. This kind of concentration requires discipline, but it’s worth it because being able to focus helps us enjoy the present moment. Breaking the bad habit of excessive multitasking may sound easy, but it’s actually quite difficult. We need to be disciplined while forming new, balanced habits in this area. We need to slow down, and learn to give our full attention to the present. And we need to recognise when to take time to just sit in His presence.

What Now?

Choose a task you need to do today. Put your phone on silent and put it in another room while you complete the task, and try to enjoy being able to focus on just one thing.