Thank God for Interruptions

I am always amazed at the ministry of Jesus as I read the Gospels. He preached to multitudes, He fed thousands, He moved in power to bring healing and deliverance, He walked on water – yet, in all of this He did not lose sight of the individual people around Him. We read how He was moved with compassion as He saw a need, and moved into the situation to meet that need. He did not let interruptions get in His way; instead He used the interruptions as an opportunity to minister and to touch lives.

When the blind man came on the scene and yelled out, Son of David have mercy on me, the disciples tried to quiet the man up. When the little children came to Him, the disciples tried to shoo them away because after all Jesus was important and could not be interrupted. Well, we know that in these situations and in so many others in the Gospels Jesus did not put the people off who interrupted, what He did was stop and meet the need in their lives.

Wow, what a response. I have to admit that so many times when I am interrupted I will get impatient, feel put out, or worse yet – react at someone (ouch). And too many times that person I react at is someone who is in need. Yes, I find myself acting just like those who were with Jesus, and I try to avoid the interruption. However, I see there is a better way to handle things, and that way is to follow the example of Jesus.

I invite you to join with me as I reflect on the example of Jesus and how He did not let things get in the way of people. Jesus was always ready to serve, to give, and to minister to a need. Mark 10:45 tells us that He can not to be served, but to serve…

Paul has some great insight about Jesus regarding this issue.

Phil 2:3-4

3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Paul then goes on in verse 5 that we need to have this same attitude, this same mindset that Jesus had, which was (which is) to look out for the interests of others, and not to think we are more important than others, or that our time is too valuable to not help someone (another ouch).

Lord, we pray that You will help us to see interruptions from a different perspective from now on, that You will help us to look past our own interests and agendas, and to be sensitive to how You may want us to move in a situation. Help all of us Jesus to walk with a greater sensitivity to You so that we might see lives touched and the hand of God move.

God bless you all