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How to Be Spiritually Open to Daily Detours
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- Updated May 05, 2023
We all have schedules each day. We have places to be, people to see, and deadlines to achieve. We have families to care for and feed. We have traffic to sit in and fitness classes to attend. We have texts and emails to send. It is easy to become frustrated and angry about the detours that can come into our days. However, what if these detours were actually “God-tours” to take us to people that He wants us to go bless. How can we be spiritually open to daily detours?
What Are Our Core Principles?
Dr. Heather Holleman recently taught at our national staff ministry conference. She shared how people set up their lives based on their core principles. As Christ-followers, we are called to trust that God is working in the everyday. Not only do we know that Jesus is inviting others to Himself, but we know that He includes us as part of His mission to reach the world. Heather profoundly shared, “Any situation I’m in that I don’t want to be in, God has someone He wants me to meet in it.”
This one phrase is life changing. It flips our mindset upside down. That long line at the grocery store no longer becomes a hassle, but an open door to talk to the person next to us in line. That unexpected neighbor problem suddenly becomes a joy because it gives us time to pray over them. That red light is no longer a nuisance because it causes us to pause and think to pray for that person in need.
How do you see your day ahead? Are you someone who wants to rush as fast as you can through the detours of life? Do detours lead you to sin, or lead you into holiness? With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be led into holiness and live life on mission for the gospel.
Ephesians 5:16-17 says, “Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
How can we make the most of every opportunity, including the difficult ones? The days truly are evil; sin and selfishness are rampant among our society. But we are called to be salt and light to the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). Well, I hate to tell you, people do not notice salt unless there is no flavor, and people do not notice light unless there is darkness. This means that many of our moments of sharing the hope that we have and the joy in Jesus are going to come in trying ways. We will not be comfortable, we will slowed down and often caught off guard by ministry opportunities.
The Way Jesus Did Detours
Let’s think about Jesus. Many of His most wonderful witnessing and miraculous moments were not where He was originally going or who He was headed to speak with at that time. But Jesus knew the value of the moment. He knew how to stop, listen, and act. He was patient, kind, and loving. He did not complain or rebuke someone for coming to Him at an “inconvenient” time. No, He blessed them and shared His love.
The Feeding of the 5,000
Matthew 14:15-16 says, “As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’”
The Little Children
Mark 10:13-14 says, “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’”
The Bleeding Woman
Luke 8:42b-48 says, “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’”
The Disciples on the Boat
Matthew 8:23-26 says, “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”
The Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5-8 says, “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Shall I come and heal him?’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.’”
These are just a few incredible examples of daily detours in the life of Jesus which turned into ministry moments. He cared for the hungry, He noticed the large groups, He cared for the one, He valued children, He loved the sick woman, He woke up from His nap to comfort His friends, and He even helped the servant of someone who was considered an enemy.
We can learn a lot from His responses. He was a perfect. Our Savior was not time-focused, He was God-focused. He saw the needs of the people around Him and He answered the call. May we pray to live by the same power of His Spirit that lives in us. May we be spiritually open to daily detours. May we see these moments not as nuisances, but as opportunities to share the gospel.
More from this author
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