interrupting God – spreading the fame

WHEN GOD ALLOWS THE UNEXPECTED

On the mission field, interruptions can seem like nuisances, but these often daily realities can profoundly shape ministry and life, from the sudden onset of an illness to an unexpected political upheaval to the constant demands of neighbors popping in for a visit. These disruptions, while frustrating to human efficiency, become a primary arena for spiritual formation and divine encounters.

During the writing of this chapter, I had a morning with numerous interruptions. It began with the quiet hum of my own agenda, a plan for a productive start to the day. Then, I was awoken by a call: I needed to immediately make copies of important documents for a government office. I missed eating breakfast with my family. Soon after, a neighbor knocked on my gate to greet me and get some water. Moments after sitting down to eat my cold breakfast, I received a painful and sorrowful call from a colleague whose twelve-year-old daughter died unexpectedly; they were driving her body to the capital. In just that one call, the plans for the day shattered. Interruptions happen without warning, and they can derail a moment or the course of our lives.

Matt was meticulously planning an evangelistic outreach to a remote village, weeks of preparation culminating in this strategic trip. The night before their departure, news broke: the border to that region was abruptly closed due to unforeseen political unrest. All plans were instantly halted. Frustration surged. Instead of the planned outreach, Matt found himself spending the next few days fielding calls from anxious teammates, comforting disappointed local contacts, and praying intensely for the volatile situation. It was an interruption that felt like a ministry failure, yet in the forced pause, Matt found himself drawn into deeper intercession than ever before, and unexpectedly connected with a key government official who, weeks later, would open a new, even more strategic door—a door he likely would not have found on his original path.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION ON INTERRUPTIONS

The mission field is a dynamic environment where our carefully laid plans often take a backseat to the unexpected. Interruptions aren’t mere inconveniences; they’re a pervasive, often frustrating, reality. Yet, biblically speaking, they are integral to God’s sovereign plan. Developing a robust theology of interruptions is vital for maintaining our peace, discerning God’s leading, and ultimately, maximizing our ministry impact.

Interruptions aren’t random annoyances; they are, in fact, part of God’s ordained plan. These unexpected interventions into our neatly planned course of action can manifest as crises, unforeseen needs, or simply the daily ebb and flow of life in a foreign context. While they often feel disruptive and frustrating to our human efficiency, the Bible reveals that many such “interruptions” are actually integral parts of God’s larger, often hidden purposes. Our finite plans meet His infinite ones.(Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 55:8-9; James 4:13-15)

God is never caught off guard by interruptions. He actively uses them as powerful instruments for His glory and our good. He can use interruptions to:

Sanctify us: They expose our idols of control, efficiency, and comfort, fostering patience, humility, and dependence on Him. (Romans 5:3-4: James 1:2-4)

Create new opportunities: What seems like a roadblock can be a divinely orchestrated open door to unexpected ministry, relationships, or insights. (Romans 8:28; Acts 16:6-10)

Deepen dependence: Interruptions remind us of our human limitations and drive us to rely more fully on God’s wisdom and power. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Reveal God’s character: When our plans are disrupted, God often reveals Himself in new ways as Provider, Comforter, or Guide.

Jesus consistently modeled how to embrace and utilize interruptions with grace and divine purpose. He was rarely bound by His own schedule, always attentive to the Father’s leading and the needs of those around Him. Jesus made time for interruptions.

Mark 5:21-43: Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus’s dying daughter, a pressing emergency. He was “interrupted” by a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years. Instead of dismissing her, Jesus stopped, discerned her faith, healed her, and affirmed her. This “interruption” then led to the news of Jairus’s daughter’s death, setting the stage for a greater miracle of resurrection.

Luke 10:38-42: Jesus was visiting Mary and Martha. Martha was “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (her “plan”), while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha interrupted Jesus to complain about Mary. Jesus used this “interruption” to teach about prioritizing spiritual nourishment over busy activity.

Matthew 14:13-23: Jesus needed some space, maybe to grieve, maybe to pray. He got into a boat to find a “solitary” place, only to find that the crowds had followed Him! He would have had every right to dismiss them then, or at the very least, get back into the boat and find another shore. He had a good reason! His beloved cousin had also just been killed at the hands of Herod. It said that “He had compassion on them.” He stayed. He healed their sickness. He fed thousands of them with five loaves of bread and two fish. Then He got His alone time.

God Himself is interruptible. We could also say that God is accessible or hospitable. We can connect with Him anytime, anywhere, and He is always there. He is always available and interruptible, always ready to listen, never burdened or bothered by our sudden call or knock at His gate. (James 1:5; Matthew 8:2-3; Mark 4:35-38)

Paul’s life was changed forever by an interruption. On the Road to Damascus, Saul (whose name was later changed to Paul) was on his way to persecute Christians, but was blinded by a light. Jesus interrupted Saul’s plans because he wanted to change the course of his life and faith. Saul was saved that day and would go on to bring the gospel message to the ends of the earth. (Acts 9:1-31, 26:1-32) Paul would also receive other interruptions in his ministry—stoning, civic unrest, imprisonment, shipwreck, and broken relationships—to which he boasted in the Lord. (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)

God interrupted history to save the world. We see Him break into the human story time and again throughout Scripture, dramatically redirecting its course. But the most profound interruption of all was when He sent Jesus into the world, born of a virgin, arriving within a historical context that perfectly fulfilled countless prophecies. Jesus’s entire life was a series of marvelous interruptions—His incarnation, His miraculous ministry, His crucifixion, and then, the most awesome interruption of all, His resurrection. God literally broke into history and our story. We’re eternally grateful for His interruption because it brought us salvation, and it continues to save the souls of the lost we seek to reach—undoubtedly, the best kind of interruption to their lives. (Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 2:1-38)

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” — James 4:13-15

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERRUPTIONS IN THE MISSION FIELD

Interruptions are uniquely important in the mission field because they:

Mission is an interruption, bringing the Gospel: We are interrupting the status quo of people and cultures simply by bringing the good news meant to alter their eternal destiny.

Often God’s Primary Strategy: In many unreached contexts, direct, planned ministry is impossible. God often works through “divine interruptions” to connect missionaries with “persons of peace” or opens unexpected doors. Interruptions are unavoidable, so embrace them.

Test and Refine Calling: Disruptions challenge a pioneer missionary’s commitment, revealing if their calling is truly to Christ or merely to a specific task or something secondary.

Build Relational Depth: Responding well to local emergencies or unexpected needs builds trust and demonstrates Christ’s love more powerfully than many planned programs.

Guard Against Idolatry of Plans: They prevent missionaries from becoming overly reliant on their own strategies or feeling their worth is tied to human efficiency.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book Life Together, said about interruptions, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks…It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this, but actually they are disdaining God’s ‘crooked yet straight path.’”

Examples of Interruptions on the Mission Field:

Unexpected Visitors: A neighbor showing up unannounced, requiring immediate hospitality and conversation, disrupting a planned work session.
Sudden Illness: A team member or local contact falling ill, requiring immediate care and diverting resources.
Bureaucratic Delays: Visa renewals are taking months longer than expected, forcing unplanned extensions or temporary evacuations.
Political Instability: A sudden coup attempt, protests, or civil unrest, closing borders, and disrupting normal activities.
Power and Water Outages: Frequent and unpredictable utility failures disrupt work, communication, and daily life.
Local Emergencies: A community crisis (e.g., fire, accident, death) requiring immediate response and presence from the missionary.
Unforeseen Needs: A local family suddenly facing a crisis (e.g., job loss, medical emergency) that requires immediate practical and emotional support.

Think about Jesus again and how He handled interruptions. It’s almost like He viewed them as an integral part of His life, mission, and ministry. He didn’t seclude Himself like other religious leaders. His entire ministry unfolded in public—in the streets, fields, homes, synagogues, on the road, and at sea. He didn’t have an office, a home, or a formal church building. While He took occasional, vital retreats to restore His energy, rest His body, and commune privately with His disciples, He always returned to the crowds. He was profoundly accessible. Jesus’s accessibility changed people, and His example calls us to be more accessible, more interruptible, and ultimately, more like Him.

PRAYER ACTION

Consider the Scriptures you cling to above. Consider interruptions. Write a prayer for the kind of person you want to be when interrupted.

REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICAL MINI-THEOLOGY OF INTERRUPTIONS

Take some time to prayerfully draft your practical mini-theology of “interruptions” by responding to these questions:

What types of “interruptions” are most common in your daily life and ministry on the field? How do you feel or react to interruptions?

example: God is… We are the kind of people who… It is most like us/me to… We/I will… We/I hold to…

Looking back, can you identify any “interruptions” that, in hindsight, God used for a greater purpose or led to an unexpected blessing? Looking ahead, how do you want to respond to and view interruptions? How can I develop a more consistent habit of prayerful discernment in the moment of an interruption?

When an interruption occurs, how do you intentionally pause and seek God’s perspective on it? How does Jesus’ example of handling interruptions challenge or encourage your own approach?

How can interruptions serve as a “sanctification tool” or “opportunity creator” in your life and ministry? What practical steps can I take to cultivate greater flexibility and adaptability in my daily life and ministry?

Once you finish, share your responses with your mentor. Ask for feedback. Adjust your draft as needed.
Complete a one-page practical mini-theology.

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