Interruptions: God-Ordained Opportunities To Grow

How do you deal with people around you when your plans are disturbed?

Do you struggle with having patience, especially when constantly interrupted?

Maybe you’re trying to complete a task at work and you’re being interrupted by your boss or coworkers or by meetings after meetings.

Maybe you’re a parent who’s had a very long day and your child's next interruption while you are getting everyone’s dinner together feels like the final straw.

Maybe you're late for work, rushing to get everyone out the door in time and in that rush, you spill your coffee all over the floor. Great. Now you're frantic, frustrated and you take it out on all the drivers on the road.

At the end of long days, our patience can be thin. Sometimes the smallest interruption is enough to completely unravel any sanity we seem to have left. And the end result of all of these scenarios is that we lash out and take our frustrations out on the people around us.

Or. Maybe you're not phased by minor interruptions but instead are dealing with the results of a major interruption to your life.

Things have happened in your life that have interrupted your plans. You've had to put your life on pause or maybe you've even been forced to completely shift the direction of your life and you are grieving over these interruptions which have changed the course of the life you had planned for yourself.

Maybe you do not lose it externally, instead interruptions leave you feeling internally frustrated, worn down, envious, bitter, overwhelmed, and in despair. Which in turn might lead you to slowly withdraw from others and allow your love to grow cold.

In either of the above situations, the end result of the way we react to other people in the midst of our interruptions is sinful (whether we lash out in anger or we withdraw and shut down).

Friend, do we know how Jesus handled people in the midst of interruptions?

Jesus' Reaction to Interruptions

The Bible tells us that Jesus’ years of ministry was constantly filled with interruptions. He was always in the middle of going somewhere when He was continually stopped by people needing His help.

Let us look at one interruption in particular.

Matthew 14:9-14 "The king was distressed,

but because of his oaths and his dinner guests,

he ordered that her request be granted

and had John beheaded in the prison.

His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,

who carried it to her mother.

John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.

Then they went and told Jesus.

When Jesus heard what had happened,

he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.

Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,

he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

Verses 9-12 talk about how John the Baptist was just beheaded. Right after Jesus heard the news of His cousin being beheaded, the Bible says that His immediate reaction was that he “withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place”. Jesus wanted some time to be alone.

Yes, Jesus is God (John 10:30), so He already knew His Father’s plan of what would happen to John the Baptist. He knew this plan from the beginning of time. But just as Jesus was fully God, the Bible says that Jesus was also fully human (Philippians 2:6-8) and experienced everything that we experience; every emotion and feeling, pain, joy, heartache, and sorrow - except for sin (Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 4:15-16).

Now because Jesus was both fully God and fully human, we can understand why He wanted to retreat privately to a solitary place after hearing the news of the death of His cousin.

Think about it. What would you do? How would you react after hearing that someone you dearly loved was just brutally murdered? We would probably want to be alone and grieve. And this is not a sinful desire at all. Far from it. Knowing Jesus, He was most likely wanting to spend that alone time, in prayer with His Father; a worthy, holy and righteous desire (Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12, Mark 6:46, Mark 1:35).

However, God had other plans. Verses 13-14 describe what God had planned for Jesus right in the middle of Him trying to find some peace and quiet. Let's read it again.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭13-14

“When Jesus heard what had happened,

he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.

Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,

he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

It is important to note that this passage is the same passage where Jesus feeds the 5,000 (and this not even counting the women and children who were present - Matthew 14:21).

So let's review, Jesus got off the boat, filled with grief over the death of His cousin, tried to find some peace and quiet to probably be alone with His Father, yet in the midst of this, His Father sends not 1, not 2, not 10 not 50 but over 5,000 people to meet Him. 5,000 people! Can you imagine being interrupted all at once by over 5,000 people?

And what was Jesus’ reaction?

It was not impatience.

It was not annoyance.

It was not frustration.

It was not anger.

It was not self-pity.

It was not rage.

It was not selfishness.

It was not bitterness.

It was not pride.

What was it?

It was "compassion" (Verse 14).

Can you imagine that? Compassion.

And that is exactly how God calls us to react in the midst of our interruptions.

God Is Not Surprised By The Interruptions In Our Life

Jesus knew that interruptions were not accidents.

Jesus knew that interruptions were sovereignly ordained opportunities that God uses to help us be transformed more and more into His likeness.

The way we react in these moments of interruptions can either glorify God or not.

Each moment of interruption is an opportunity for us to practice truly bearing fruit.

When interrupted, Jesus chose to react with love and compassion. And in the process of loving those around Him, He was in turn loving God the Father and bringing honor and glory to God.

The same is true for us.

God knows about everything that happens to us and He is in absolute control, so interruptions in our life (massive or miniscule) are opportunities that God gives us to draw closer to Him, to grow the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) and be transformed more and more into His likeness. By bearing fruit and loving others, we too can bring immense glory and honor to God in our everyday activities of life.

A few things happen when we respond the way Jesus did, with compassion -

• We love others

• We love & honor God

• We are being transformed into Christ's likeness

Why Should We Respond Like Jesus?

Now that we see how Jesus handled interruptions, why should we follow suite?

Simple. God calls us to be like Christ in all that we do.

Ephesians 5:1-2

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."

1 Peter 1:15-16

"But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”"

1 John 2:6

"Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."

It's also important to realize why God calls us to follow Him.

He calls us to be loving and patient and merciful to others because that is the way He is with us! We follow Christ's example of love because He loved us first. We follow God's example of patience because He is patient with us first. He is loving, patient and merciful with us every single day even though we don't deserve it.

The cross says it all.

Our Savior died for us while we were still sinners. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

He continues to love us despite our constant daily failings.

So, we choose to follow God's commands not out of duty but out of love and joy for what He has already done for us. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

What Happens When We Respond Like Jesus?

We Love Others

Most times, interruptions make us turn inwards and self-centered. Its easy to see why this happens. Our plans are being ruined. Our day/life is not going the way we want it to go. These are hard and painful things. And in turn, this can affect how we relate to others.

We might react in a myriad of negative ways. We might lash out at others or shut down with others, etc. We might be going through so much ourselves that we start to have no patience with those around us. Again, while its understandable why we would react this way, it is still not right and it is not what we are called to do as followers of Christ.

As followers of Christ, we are called to love God and love others. Loving God means obeying what He has asked of us. And He has asked us to love one another. Despite the interruptions in our life, we are called to still love others the way Christ loves us.

John 15:12

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Ephesians 4:2-3

"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace."

Ephesians 4:29-32

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

Galatians 6:9

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

We Love & Honor God

We are called to give glory and honor to God in every single thing that we do.

When we love others, we live in obedience to Him and point others to Him.

As Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ.

Someone is always watching us.

Whether its our coworkers, our boss, our children, our spouse, our friends, our neighbors, the cashier at the store, the customer service representative on the phone, or the stranger on the road, someone is always watching our actions and/or listening to our words.

And when faced with an interruption, when we choose to respond like Jesus, with compassion and patience, we are being witnesses for Christ and honoring Him in the simple moments of our daily life.

We can bring honor and glory to God by the way we respond.

Philippians 1:27

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel."

Colossians 3:17

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

Colossians 3:23-24

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ."

1 Corinthians 10:31

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

1 Peter 2:12

"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world."

Ephesians 4:1

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."

Colossians 4:5

"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity."

Ephesians 5:15-17

"So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."

We Become More & More Like Christ

Every opportunity that we get to bear fruit is an opportunity to become more and more like Christ. As Christians, we continually strive to be more like Him. God wants us to be transformed into His likeness. Although we will not be fully transformed on this side of eternity, God uses our time on earth to slowly mold us into His likeness (sanctification).

When we respond to an interruption with love and patience, not only is the other person being blessed, but we also are being blessed by it. We might not see the immediate blessing but by exercising the fruit of the Spirit, we are being transformed more and more into Christ and that comes with immeasurable eternal blessings.

How Do We Respond Like Christ?

Society would like us to believe that when we need patience, all we need to do is take a deep breath, count to ten, and tap into a well within ourselves where we will magically find within us an ocean of patience.

While taking a deep breath and not reacting immediately is almost always helpful, what isn't helpful is the lie that we are self-sufficient and that we can bear good fruit on our own, without help from God.

On our own, we can do nothing. However, through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit living within us, we can do all things.

Ask God For Help

So how can we respond more like Christ?

We can start by praying and asking God for His help.

It all starts by asking God to give us a heart that loves to follow Him.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

God has said in His word that if we ask Him, He will give us not just the power but also the true desire to do His good works. When we sincerely ask Him, He promises to help. When we do what pleases Him, it is God working in us and not ourselves that is doing it. So let us ask for His help.

Philippians 2:13

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

1 Thessalonians 3:12

"And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows."

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Philippians 4:13

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Hebrews 13:21

"may he equip you with all you need

for doing his will.

May he produce in you,

through the power of Jesus Christ,

every good thing that is pleasing to him.

All glory to him forever and ever! Amen."

2 Corinthians 9:8

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Stay Rooted In God's Word

It is impossible to please God if we don't have a relationship with Him.

God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible.

We must daily spend time in His Word.

Psalm 1:1-3

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers."

Colossians 3:16

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Fix Our Eyes On Jesus

Fixing our thoughts on what Jesus did for us on the cross humbles us.

It also reminds us of His great unfathomable love for us.

This reminder helps turn our minds from sinful reactions to instead wanting to love and please the God who loves us so much. It gives us the right motivation and desire to love others well, even in the midst of interruptions.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we are reminded of what life is all about.

We are reminded of how everything must be seen with an eternal perspective.

And how we are here on earth not just to accomplish "our own plans" but instead to live out God's plans for our lives and to bring glory and honor to Him. We will start to see that the interruptions He is allowing into our lives are meant to serve a greater purpose in His good plan for our eternal lives.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Colossians 3:1-2

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Hebrews 3:1

"Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest."

Next time we are interrupted, let us try to remember that this is an opportunity for us to grow closer to God, grow in loving others and become more like Him. And if we are struggling, let us remember to ask God for help, never stop spending time with Him, and above all, let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

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John 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches.

If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing."

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.”

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