Multitasking and Minimalism

“Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which can not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:38-42 

And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for ones life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15

In the Biblical scripture of Mary and Martha, listed above, someone suggested that Martha might have been multitasking. Do you identify with Mary or Martha or both? We worry about all the items on our “To Do List.”  I considered multitasking as a recent idea. But in the Lincoln Community Playhouse portraying of Erma Bombeck - At Wits End, she mentioned “Doing Two Things at Once.”

It isn’t easy for me to multitask. I don’t think I get more done when I try to multitask. It can even be dangerous as in driving and talking on a cell phone or texting.

Perhaps being a minimalist is the way to go. When we live intentionally, we are not distracted by the world and what it values. We are called to be focused on our purpose, on God, and on the people in our lives. When we focus on what really matters, we reduce stress and simplify our lives.

Jordan Lee Dooley states, “God always has a bigger purpose for us than we have for ourselves.”

(Quote from ”Purpose, Breaking Through Insecurities, Expectations and the Pressure to Prove.”)

Prayer: God, we ask you to guide us as we seek to simplify our lives. Help us to discern your purpose for us. Amen.   

Lois Poppe