How to Be Spiritually Open to Daily Detours

We all have schedules each day. We have places to be, people to see, and deadlines to achieve. We have families to care for and feed. We have traffic to sit in and fitness classes to attend. We have texts and emails to send. It is easy to become frustrated and angry about the detours that can come into our days. However, what if these detours were actually “God-tours” to take us to people that He wants us to go bless. How can we be spiritually open to daily detours?

So sometimes the Spirit will take you the long route to avoid a relational wreck or help a searching soul. I don’t like the feeling of roaming, but this may be God’s way to protect me from my way. I am learning to appreciate the Lord’s detours and not rush to my final destination. God’s goal is not for me to just go from point A to point B. He longs for me to enjoy the journey. This can be seen in the life of Jesus. His life didn’t just consist of Virgin Birth and Voilent Death. There were some detours in between.

John 4:3–4 CSB

he left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria;

The departure here reminds one of the withdrawal statements concerning Jesus in the Synoptics (Matt 12:15; Mark 3:7; Luke 5:16). In this withdrawal process Jesus found it “necessary” (edei) to pass through Samaria (4:4). The use of edei, however, reminds one of the fact that usually Jesus moved not in response to human pressure but as a result of the Father’s direction and the determined hour for his life. Did the evangelist merely mean that Samaria was on the way? Or is there some overtone here that Samaria was on the divine agenda? Given the significance of this story in the Johannine structure and the importance of the Samaritan confession (4:42), I cannot help wondering if the evangelist saw in this story more than just a geographical reference at 4:4.

Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, pp. 198–199). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Jesus followed His heavenly Father on a godly excursion/tour. Instead of hurrying back in an efficient pace to Galilee, He took His time to stop in Samaria to love a lady labeled unlovable by His culture. Jesus was intentional to instigate a relationship with a person who could not give Him anything in return. What seemed on the surface to be a less efficient schedule, was more effective in God’s Kingdom. Jesus paused for one person. Giving the gift of eternal life to one trumped being expedient with many. He took a detour from the plan so He could follow the Father’s plan.

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me. Yet not My will, but Your will, be done” (Luke 22:42

Luke 22:42 CSB

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

The Way Jesus Did Detours

Let’s think about Jesus. Many of His most wonderful witnessing and miraculous moments were not where He was originally going or who He was headed to speak with at that time. But Jesus knew the value of the moment. He knew how to stop, listen, and act. He was patient, kind, and loving. He did not complain or rebuke someone for coming to Him at an “inconvenient” time. No, He blessed them and shared His love.

The Feeding of the 5,000

Matthew 14:15-16 says, “As evening approached, 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 themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’”

The Little Children

Mark 10:13-14 says, “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was annoyed/ provoked / displeased. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’”

The Bleeding Woman

Luke 8:42b-48 says, “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’”

The Disciples on the Boat

Matthew 8:23-26 says, “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”

The Centurion’s Servant

Matthew 8:5-8 says, “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Shall I come and heal him?’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.’”

These are just a few incredible examples of daily detours in the life of Jesus which turned into ministry moments. He cared for the hungry, He noticed the large groups, He cared for the one, He valued children, He loved the sick woman, He woke up from His nap to comfort His friends, and He even helped the servant of someone who was considered an enemy.

We can learn a lot from His responses. He was a perfect. Our Savior was not time-focused, He was God-focused. He saw the needs of the people around Him and He answered the call. May we pray to live by the same power of His Spirit that lives in us. May we be spiritually open to daily detours. May we see these moments not as nuisances, but as opportunities to share the gospel.

People set up their lives based on their core principles. As Christ-followers, we are called to trust that God is working in the everyday. Not only do we know that Jesus is inviting others to Himself, but we know that He includes us as part of His mission to reach the world. Heather profoundly shared, “Any situation I’m in that I don’t want to be in, God has someone He wants me to meet in it.”

This one phrase is life changing. It flips our mindset upside down. That long line at the grocery store no longer becomes a hassle, but an open door to talk to the person next to us in line. That unexpected neighbor problem suddenly becomes a joy because it gives us time to pray over them. That red light is no longer a nuisance because it causes us to pause and think to pray for that person in need.

How do you see your day ahead? Are you someone who wants to rush as fast as you can through the detours of life? Do detours lead you to sin, or lead you into holiness? With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be led into holiness and live life on mission for the gospel.

Ephesians 5:16-17

says, “Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

But we are called to be salt and light to the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). Well, I hate to tell you, people do not notice salt unless there is no flavor, and people do not notice light unless there is darkness. This means that many of our moments of sharing the hope that we have and the joy in Jesus are going to come in trying ways. We will not be comfortable, we will be slowed down and often caught off guard by ministry opportunities. Ministry will Blind side you if you are not open to daily detours.

Is your faith flexible? Can you joyfully follow your heavenly Father to places and people that are not a part of your original plan? Perhaps the Spirit is calling you to stay longer in your current circumstance so you can continue to model Jesus for those who have limited experience with Jesus. Maybe the Lord has detoured you onto an unlit, uncrowded back road of life to test your belief and to grow your trust in Him. A life enamored(captivated, charmed) by the noise and speed of busy highways can rush around only to discover Christ was at a dead end street. Faith waits.

God’s detours are opportunities to know others and to make God known. By faith, our uncertain and imperfect path leads us into the certainty of the Lord’s perfect path. When His Spirit prompts our spirit to pause, we are wise to wait on His leading. Faith follows Jesus to people and places who need Jesus. His detours are His blessings in disguise. We are all blessed by impromptu love in Jesus’ name. God’s detours are the best route to enjoy His results.