Beautiful Interruption God endowed us with free will for a reason, and He’ll never force us to obey. But that won’t stop Him from breaking into our lives when necessary. As a nervous 15-year-old learning how to drive, I was involved in an accident. It wasn’t my fault, but when I slammed on the brakes and the car jolted, my pulse raced as fear flooded my mind. I froze—clueless about what to do next. Thankfully, my dad was there, and he reached across the console to help steer our car away from the embankment we were approaching. Had he not done so, that sunny Saturday afternoon could have quickly turned solemn. Dad did what was necessary to help me, a young driver with limited knowledge, and it was his actions that kept my mother, sister, and me from danger. Not for a second did I begrudge his intervention. On the contrary, I was exceedingly grateful for it. Although it seems obvious, it strikes me that Dad didn’t ask permission to involve himself and protect me. He instantly reacted without waiting for my consent, because he knew what to do in this dangerous situation. A loving father would never think twice about intervening in his child’s life if he knew he held the key to the rescue. In a similar manner, Scripture depicts a Savior who interrupted a perilous sin situation and brought a solution, once and for all, through the interposition of His blood. Look through the Gospels at the weeks leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Not once did He ask if we would like for Him to go to Calvary; He just did it, knowing full well how desperately we needed redemption. In His conversations with the disciples, you’ll find no discussion regarding His imminent crucifixion. No vote was taken, because there wasn’t an option. He even rebuked Peter when the disciple exclaimed, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matt. 16:22 NIV). Ending their continual efforts to atone for sin, Christ stepped in and gave His life as the only offering capable of covering us all. I daresay that no follower of Christ would view His sacrifice with anything less than the highest gratitude. We assemble in houses of worship to reverence, adore, and praise the One who did what we never asked Him to do. We sing about the blood and the cross and even celebrate communion (Matt. 26:26-28) to remember His work on our behalf. But that gratefulness often wanes if things don’t go our way. We are broken, hurt, and frustrated when jobs are lost, loved ones die, or financial struggles set in. We don’t mind God stepping into our lives to save us from dangerous situations, but we would prefer He not interfere when things are going well. We want no part of the difficulties we are certain to find on the path He has called us to walk. As the sovereign Creator of the universe, He moves as He sees fit and calls us onward, regardless of our plans. This is nothing new. The Bible contains dozens of stories of men and women whose lives were changed in ways they did not ask for, but there is not one who was left worse off for it in the end. Saul was unexpectedly confronted by the Lord on the road to Damascus, and the course of his life was forever altered (Acts 9). Mary, the mother of Jesus, was given a responsibility that put her in a precarious situation (Luke 1:26-38). Job, to whom an entire book is dedicated, had his life broken and torn apart, despite His faithfulness to God. But God never changed. He may have altered their lives by allowing certain circumstances or calling them into difficult situations, but He “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). And when, for our ultimate good, He imposes Himself upon our lives, He will never need our permission to act as He sees fit. At such times, we must remember, there is nothing rude or reckless about the His choice to interrupt. In fact, it is the most beautiful and loving thing He can do.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 01:50:28 +0000
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