Try This Christlike Response When People Interrupt Your Schedule

When people interrupt your schedule, how do you respond?
When people interrupt your schedule, how do you respond? (Pixabay/JESHOOTS)

Interruptions can be frustrating.

But as long as you're in local church ministry, interruptions are not going away.

If you are involved in the lives of people and the real issues they deal with, interruptions will be part of your work. You can choose to fight that reality or embrace it.

The goal isn't to pretend that interruptions don't bring complexity to your schedule. They do. The goal is to learn how to best navigate interruptions so your ministry has the greatest impact and you continue to experience inner peace even on difficult days.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

It's important to focus on what you can control and not get frustrated about the rest. You can't control everything that happens to you, but you can control what is going on within you. You can manage your emotions, which are the place to start.

Fighting against the natural flow of interruptions is like getting stressed about being stressed, it serves no valuable purpose. We know that too much stress is not good for us, but stressing about stress is completely counterproductive. It's the same with interruptions. They produce complications to your schedule and maybe even stress you out, but fighting them only makes it worse.

Here's a helpful approach:

1. Establish routine and margin.

Intentional routines are not boring and confining; they are healthy and needed. They require discipline to maintain, and they help you establish healthy and productive rhythms for your life.

For me, a weekly routine is not a legalistic straightjacket. In fact, it's often interrupted and ends up changed. But the routine provides the necessary guardrails so I can make good decisions when interruptions come.

I also believe that some margin helps make it all work. For example, I try not to book a full day on Thursdays until the week of. So when "stuff happens" every week like it always does, I have a place to put it. By the time Thursday hits, it's usually full. But if I filled it weeks in advance, there is no place to help handle the interruptions (and opportunities.)

2. Cultivate your generosity.

An important part of governing your perspective involves how you think about the interruption. Because it nearly always involves a person, it's important to possess an internal disposition that you want to help if you can, rather than seeing the person(s) as an inconvenience.

One of the ways I cultivate a generous spirit within me is reminding myself how I feel when I want to see someone right away, and I don't fit into their schedule. Whether it's a plumber, doctor or a personal trainer, when they "make room" for me, I'm very grateful.

3. Lean into the moment.

Never underestimate the potential life-changing impact of an interruption.

One of my favorite stories (Mark 5:21-42) takes place after Jesus had just again crossed over to the other side of the lake. A large crowd gathered around Him.

He was interrupted on the spot, in whatever He was doing.

Jairus, a synagogue ruler, had a daughter who was dying. He pleaded with Jesus to go with him to heal his daughter, and Jesus went with him.

On the way to see Jairus' daughter, Jesus was interrupted again. His interruption was interrupted!

In the crowd of people, a woman (bleeding for 12 years) touched His garment, and Jesus stopped to heal her. Jesus was aware (sensitive to divine interruptions) of even a sick woman touching his clothes, and took the time to identify who she was and say: "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction" (Mark 5:34).

Wait for it. Yes, Jesus was interrupted yet again (in verse 35, while He was still speaking). Some men came from the house of Jairus, and reported: "Your daughter is dead" (Mark 5:35b).

And the end of the story: Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36b) and "The girl is not dead, but sleeping" (Mark 5:39b). They laughed at Jesus. And Jesus healed the little girl.

When you are sensitive to divine interruptions and invite the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will likely experience some incredibly powerful ministry moments.

4. Sometimes you need to say no.

Not every interruption is a divinely inspired moment. Sometimes you must say no. In fact, the larger the church, the more often you may need to say no. However, in many cases, you will have the staff to help you handle the interruptions.

Here are some practical questions to help you think through how you should respond.

  • Can someone else can handle the situation?
  • Might you be doing this just to please someone?
  • Would saying "yes" prevent you from fulfilling an important family commitment?
  • Is this a non-urgent, low-impact request?
  • Are your gifts and abilities not well suited to meet the need?

These questions do not represent a formula, but they give you a sense of how to think about the question.

Dan Reiland is the executive pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as executive pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as vice president of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY.

This article originally appeared on danreiland.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.



Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.

Charisma Leader — Serving and empowering church leaders