Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologians who died under Nazi persecution wrote this in his book Life Together.
“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God, who will thwart our plans and frustrate our ways time and again, even daily, by sending people across our path with their demands and requests. We can, then, pass them by, preoccupied with our important daily tasks, just as the priest–perhaps reading the Bible–passed by the man who had fallen among robbers.”
His quote brings up some good questions for us to consider.
How attuned to the needs of others am I as I go through my day?
Do I allow God to teach me through the interaction with others?
What can I do to be more like Jesus and always live in the present, having time for all, even the unexpected interruptions, yet still accomplishing much for the Lord?
These are good questions I need to consider. Our American culture focuses so much on getting things done! We have so much to do, that we often despise interruptions. But what if God is sending the interruptions? We should not be like the levite and the priest who stepped to the other side of the road and hurried on to their business while they left the robbed man half dead in the street. We must be the good samaritan who handles the interruption with compassion and mercy. We must be like Jesus when Zacchues climbs the tree seeking to see him. Jesus changed his lunch plans and chose to spend his afternoon seeking and saving the lost!
Some of our best accomplishments can come through letting God interrupt our lives and going with his plan over our own to-do list.
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See Luke 10:29-37 and Luke 19:1-10
1 comment
Good thoughts! I’m such a busy person that I actually pray everyday, “Lord help me to see appointments and interruptions as divine appointments from You.”