Our daily grind often comes with many interruptions. And usually these lead to frustration as it delays the work we’re trying to accomplish. But some interruptions are needed and must be welcomed.
Perhaps a friend unexpectedly invites us to hang out, or we get the sudden urge to play, or our kid comes home and eagerly wants to tell us about his day.
By definition, interruptions are not planned or expected. And many times it’s best not to let them distract us from the work we’ve been called to do.
But we must learn to discern between meaningful interruptions and mindless distractions.
It’s easy to get so distracted by every shiny thing that comes our way that we don’t get our work done.
We must often say No to many good things in order to stay focused on what God has called us to.
At the same time, certain interruptions are a type of divine disruption intended to free and revitalize our souls.
And our souls grow ever depleted if we miss these – eventually taking a toll on our productivity as well.
The difference between mindless distractions and meaningful interruptions is the fruit produced.
Distractions take our mind off the work but do not leave our souls revitalized afterwards. In fact, we might feel even more drained, and now also behind.
On the other hand, meaningful interruptions give us a break from our work while also bringing joy to our souls. They’re still costly in terms of productivity, but the benefits they bring are worth the cost.
It’s not always clear when we should keep working and when we should welcome an interruption.
But as we learn to listen within we can welcome more moments of needed interruptions.
Work hard. And stay open to the possibility of meaningful interruptions.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
