Learning to be open to God changing my plans.
Do you like interruptions? On my farm I deal with them all the time. Not only with needs that come up with crop or animal production, but I also live and work around my wife and three boys. By nature I am a very distracted person. It makes me a natural learner because I am curious, but it can also result in getting off track at the slightest interruption. But are there some interruptions that are from God?
This past week I had a lot of plans for things I was going to get accomplished on the farm. I was trying to focus on this when there came an opportunity to go attend an event. In particular a friend and mentor of mine was encouraging me to go. It was not what I had planned, but I knew it could be beneficial since it spoke to Church leadership, which was something I had been asking God for wisdom in. In my flesh I really wanted to just work on my to-do list, but after much prayer and discussion with my wife I felt like it was an interruption from my plans that God had planned. And it ended up being a very edifying and encouraging event that I was grateful I attended. It did cost me because I had to catch up on work the next day when we would normally work on family projects, but following God often requires sacrifice.
So why would God choose to work through interruptions?
I believe that God chooses to work through interruptions because they require us to surrender our plans, hear from him, and exercise faith.
In our culture today interruptions are typically viewed in a very negative light. But several years ago a mentor of mine pointed out how much of Jesus’ ministry was a series of interruptions and disruptions. His mother asking him to address the problem with the wine, the afflicted woman touching him while he was on his way to heal the little girl, blind Bartimaeus crying out to him while he was traveling near Jericho, the lepers stopping him on the road, the crowd of five-thousand showing up when Jesus was trying to get away with his disciples, the women bringing children to him to bless, and the list goes on and on! If Jesus was open to interruptions being a part of his Father’s plan for him during his ministry here, how much more should I be open to them!
In determining whether an interruption is from God or not it can be helpful to ask the following questions:
1. “Is this interruption taking me away from what I want to do in order to do what God wants me to do?”
2. “Or is this interruption taking me away from what God wants me to do in order to do what I want to do?”
If we honestly evaluate our heart and ask God for wisdom he will often make if very clear what the answers are. A big step in the process though is acknowledging that God does work through interruptions and has the right to do so! What an adventure it is to follow Jesus. Did you know that was what you signed up for?
Have you ever experienced divine interruptions? How do you distinguish between good and bad interruptions? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
Don’t mean to upset anyone like a know it all. Those were not interuptions. It is written more than once that what the Lord was there to do. Make the blind see, the lame walk, cast out devils, heal the broken hearted , remove yokes, and many more.
Leadind up to crucifixon on the cross and the ressurection. However there are interuptions. The desciples and Paul had several each leading them to God Will.
Yes I believe on interuptions.
Exactly. We only view things as interruptions because we aren’t looking at life from God’s perspective.
The good Samaritan allowed the interruption to help the man badly beaten, he did not stop his journey but he first payed another person to take over when he had to continue on our way. Some times we have to “farm out” the work to get the job done of both serving the need and doing our business.
Right. We know God is never going to call us to do something that requires us to neglect other areas of obedience. I still had to work extra hours to get my farm work done and only felt like I could go to that event because it required me to give up things that were bonus projects I wanted to do.
So…. I had a major shift or interruption in my plans for this year. Towards the end of last year, I was spending several hours each week for a few months time. Planning out proccess and numbers for a farming business plan, centered around pastured poultry. As It got closer to 2018. I realized that I didnt have any available land to raise chickens on. I also new that eventually I would be raising our own produce for our Family, for sale and others in need. So I had to revamp my focus to Gardening. Through the process of learning about gardening, God has shown me so much about His Awesome Creation and how to use one resource for several purposes. I can see the hand of God in that process. It is very likely that I will raise pastured chickens some day soon, but not right now. The Lord is Faithful and Knows all and I am happy to leave my life in Hos hands.
Wonderful testimony. Interruptions are really just realigning with what God’s plans are which are always superior to what we would have chosen!
I understand the point that in Jesus life what appeared to be interruptions were ‘in the plan’, but in our lives, in mine anyway, it seems that the Lord diverts me from what I believe is the plan, repeatedly, and changes my direction, which of course He is entitled to do! Each time He is finding how attached I am to ‘the plan’ and how much to Him. When my plan will be fully and only His will, please God, one day, I suppose I will never be upset or confused when the direction suddenly changes. So right now I am learning to thank Him and welcome diversions and interruptions! I think its partly a matter of really putting Him first, and also learning dependence and trust. Thank you Noah, this post was a blessing.
Amen!
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 –
The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
I love that last verse. We always need to remember that God is completely Sovereign over everything that is happening and He has a plan not only for you, but for others around you. God interrupting our plans could be Him doing something great in someone elses life, through us. That is an exciting thought!
I’m not sure how I got you into my email. But I’ve just arrived from the United States to my farm in South Africa outside of Pretoria. These are trying times for South Africa because the government just in the past two months passed controversial laws which enable them to confiscate farms without any compensation. A year ago I took this Farm on as a project to generate income in order to support Ministry activities especially amongst the poor the broken and the Hopeless. To shorten the story I arrived late tonight from the USA only to discover that we have had a lot of increased criminal activity on our farm the surrounding farms. Since the government passed that law people around us are selling their farms. I’m in the process right now of deciding what to do. Do I collapse everything close down the farm and fly back to the United States or do I press on and turn the three magnificent houses on the property enter a Ministry opportunity? When your email popped up about interruptions on the very night I arrived on the property, I thought wait a second is this a divided moment.? I’m now considering that this is a part possible setup from the Lord to distract me and turn the facility over as a refuge trafficked women. It has three gorgeous huge homes on it that no one will occupy because of the current state of insecurity. I am currently raising vegetables for sale to supermarkets supermarkets. Thank you for your email it has really shaking me up to be open to change.
Grant,
Wow. What a trial you and the other farmers are going through. I am glad that God used this post to speak to you. I pray that God give you clarity, wisdom, and courage to follow in the radical paths he has called you to. His plans are always better than ours. Please keep us updated on your situation.
In Christ,
Noah Sanders