How often do we make space for the interruptions in life? And I don’t mean like, leaving the house with an extra 3 minutes to sit at red lights so we’re not late for work. I’m talking about the interruptions that show up in the middle of our busy work day, or even at the end of our long work day, where someone is in front of you with a glaring need…

I stopped at the feed store on my way home from work one night, to pick up a giant, 40-lb bag of dog food. This is one of the few quiet trips I get out by myself so I usually enjoy the moment, but this time I was in a hurry. And, as I rolled the cart up to the check-out lanes hauling this massive bag of dog food to be paid for before lugging it into my car, the young man at the cash register was the only thing standing between me and my sweet, peaceful 9-minute drive back to my house. 

He was chatting with the person who had already checked out. Emphasis on the “already.” And I was growing impatient. When he finally turned my direction he was friendly with me, but I was already miffed because I wanted to get back in my car so that I could enjoy a few more minutes of solitude. So as a result, I was short with him. He said this was his part-time job because he had taken time off of his full-time job due to anxiety and stress. He willingly mentioned that his “old” job was not a healthy environment. 

I had the keys to the peace that he was looking for right in my hand and I smiled and thanked him for ringing up my 40-lb bag of dog food and politely suggested he try to have a good night.

I missed it big time. 

As I started to leave the lane, I felt the Holy Spirit urging me. Pressing me. Prodding me back. And instead, I forced my heavy cart in a forward motion, ignoring the prompting.

I will add that the next week I went back, looking for him. To no avail though. I haven’t seen him since. 

How interruptible are you?

Does the Holy Spirit have the ability to nudge you? Do you follow the prompts? 

There’s a story in the Bible that tells of an interruption and it might not be as blatantly obvious for us to see, but I believe that if we really look at this passage through the lens of the Holy Spirit, we might just get it.

So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

That evening 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 food for themselves.”

But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

Matthew 14:10-16 (NLT)

Let me try to break this passage down as I see it.

The beheading of John the Baptist, (also worth noting, John was a baptizer, he didn’t hold the first baptist denominational affiliation here). Anyway, the beheading of John the Baptist was likely a pretty traumatic event for the disciples.

It’s also worth noting that Jesus wasn’t surprised by this news. We’re told in Philippians 2:6-8 that Jesus is both fully God and fully man, so he wasn’t caught off guard by John’s death. He wasn’t being told anything that He didn’t already know. So, Jesus and his disciples head off in a boat to a secluded, desert-like area. 

Now, it’s unclear what the disciples knew, as to why they were retreating. My interpretation is that the disciples needed a safe space to process, grieve, and heal. But, what happens next, in my opinion, is quite possibly one of the greatest interruptions recorded in the Bible. 

They step off the boat and multitudes of people have shown up with legit physical needs, and are standing there waiting on Jesus. 

So, what would you do? Send them home? Explain you really just came to rest; you’re going through something; you need space… 

We are living in this culture of self-care, and self-preservation is being shouted from the rooftops, everywhere you turn. We’re told to take time for ourselves. We’re encouraged to say no to those who are too draining for us. Everyone is being given this authority to shut anyone out when someone disagrees or challenges us, or we just don’t have the energy to deal with them.

But that culture, that mindset, is so contradictory to who Christ calls us to be. Our model—Christ, allowed people to interrupt Him regularly, and we should live in a way that is ready to meet the needs of others. Dare I say, even in instances when we’re not mentally prepared, ourselves.

Self-care should not automatically result in ignoring those in need around us.

I want to show you 5 Keys to Remaining Interruptible:

It’s impossible to walk in step with the Holy Spirit, listening for His urging and guidance, if you’re not connected. How’s your personal time with Jesus? Is He a priority? Are you cultivating an intimacy with the Lord, just you and Him?

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:14 (NLT) 

This is the same compassion in the original Greek text that’s used in the story of the prodigal son returning home, found in Luke 15.

Jesus had the same compassion on the multitudes of people that day, who had physical needs, and interrupted their afternoon of solitude, as He has with those of us who are far away. This compassion that we’re talking about isn’t just a feeling. It’s not just a response to a need. This compassion was a gut-wrenching, burden of compassion that moved Jesus’ heart. Some translations say, He was moved with compassion. 

When we operate through the spirit of compassion, we may not always feel that gut-wrenching compassion, because the size of the burden isn’t what is important. What is important is our obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Are you interruptible? 

We should remember that what really matters is our obedience. God wants our heart above everything else. (See Luke 10:27) 

So, when we say “yes,” to Jesus, and choose to handle the interruptions with God’s grace and mercy as they come, we are choosing to continually hand over our heart to Jesus, again and again. We don’t just surrender to Jesus once and call it done. As followers of Christ, who are flawed and mess up numerous times daily, we should live in a consistent motion of surrendering.

There’s always a reason for the interruption and if you only look for it in the natural, you may miss the rest of it. 

Jesus stepped off the boat and began healing the multitudes of people. But, what I love about this passage is that He doesn’t just heal them and send them home. He spends the whole day ministering and allows them to continue to “interrupt” by inviting them to stay longer. 

This is a hard one for me. Because often times, I can say yes to Jesus and deal with the interruption as quickly as possible, and send them on their way. But that’s not what happened here. The disciples tried to send them home and Jesus offered another solution: feed them.

He could have sent them home. He met their need at first glance. But there was more. They needed more. 

In both situations, the miracles came from the hands of Jesus. He stretched out His hands and healed bodies, and then, in this desolate area, he instructs the disciples to gather whatever they have to feed this large gathering of people (about 5,000 men PLUS all the women and kids). 

When the interruptions come, look for ways that the Lord may stretch you to provide or to meet a need that you’re unprepared to meet in the natural.

If we are constantly searching for the approval and celebration of man, we’ll constantly be disappointed. For real joy is found in the surrendering; real joy is found when we pick up our cross and follow Jesus down the difficult path towards righteousness. Real joy is found when we’re looking for ways to be interrupted so that we can meet the needs of those around us. 

You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Acts 20: 34-35 (NLT)

So, I want to encourage you today for the times that you’ve not embraced the interruptions. There will come another interruption. So don’t let your past mistakes hold you back from doing the right thing the next time. Don’t let the condemnation of missing it before, keep you from getting it right in the future. There is hope for the world around you, and it’s found in the Holy Spirit working through you. So, embrace the interruptions as they come. And don’t be surprised by how good it feels when you say yes to Jesus through those interruptions. 

There’s hope for you today.