How to Exude the Joy of the Lord When You’re Frustrated by Interruptions
First light pours through the curtain slow and thick, like buttermilk. Lost in the glory of dawn’s hazy glow, I read a few Psalms as I soak in God’s love. My mornings by the window fill me with the joy of the Lord and restore my soul like nothing else.
A few days ago, I’d been sitting by the window for less than ten minutes when a bleary-eyed little boy shuffled up beside me dragging a chair. After pushing his chair next to mine, he sat down and snuggled against me.
The scene would have been cute if the little guy had remained quiet as he sat at my side. He did not. Instead, he proceeded to ask dozens of questions about everything from birdfeeders to jet streams.
“Buddy, how about I put on a cartoon for you in the other room,” I suggested. The words had barely escaped my lips when a gentle wave of conviction washed over me. My pursuit of Jesus was hindering me from offering Jesus’ love to my son. Instead of embracing my little boy, I viewed him as an interruption.
Exuding the Joy of the Lord When You’re Frustrated
Throughout the past few years, God has been teaching me what it means to love like Jesus. He’s been showing me that by resisting interruptions, I miss opportunities to extend his love to others. Instead of embracing divine appointments, I often send them away!
This plays itself out most often in my role as a mom. My children approach me with questions, storybooks, and spelling lists, and if the timing is inconvenient for me, I resist their intrusions to my agenda.
You might not have young children interrupting your daily plans every three minutes, but someone in your life probably disrupts your agenda from time to time. It might be a chatty coworker, a lonely neighbor, or an emotionally needy friend.
Have you ever noticed that many of the people to whom Jesus ministered were people who had interrupted him? Instead of sending these people away, Jesus stopped what he was doing and ministered to their needs.
Are You Carrying the Joy of the Lord?
Imagine how different our lives would look if we learned to receive every interruption as a divine appointment from the hand of God—if we tenderly loved everyone who interrupted our moments. We just might learn to exude the joy of the Lord in more of our moments.
Reflect on the past few days and ask the Lord to help you identify a time when another person’s need interrupted your agenda. Did you embrace the interruption or resist it?
In which area of your life is God inviting you to open your heart with a greater willingness to receive his divine appointments and exude the joy of the Lord?
In which area of your life is God inviting you to open your heart with a greater willingness to receive his divine appointments and exude his joy? #joy #Godsjoy #joyoftheLord #divineappointments Click To Tweet
Your Invitation to Carry God’s Joy into Your World
In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul wrote: “And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). We walk in the way of love every time we put the needs of others above our own needs and agendas.
We love like Jesus when we give other people our undivided attention. Every time another person interrupts you or wants your attention today, set aside what you are doing, make eye contact, and listen intently. Ask Jesus to help you love like him by listening well and embracing interruptions as divine appointments.
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Attention, all moms and daughters!
Lastly, in addition to writing to adults, I am also passionate about ministering to the next generation.
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