The Beauty of Disruption
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19
Insight
Wake up, coffee, work, dinner, sleep, repeat.
Our routines can become so deeply ingrained that we practically operate on autopilot, barely noticing the days as they blend into weeks and months. While routines provide structure and stability, they can also become spiritual straightjackets, limiting our growth and dulling our sensitivity to God's presence.
Transformation rarely happens in the comfort of our routines. Think about the major turning points in your life—those moments of profound change and spiritual awakening. Chances are, they occurred when something disrupted your normal patterns. Maybe it was an unexpected job loss, a chance encounter with a stranger or a crisis that forced you to your knees. These disruptions, though often unwelcome, can be God's way of breaking through our carefully constructed walls of comfort.
Consider the disciples' lives before meeting Jesus. They were fishermen, tax collectors, and ordinary people following predictable patterns. Then came the ultimate disruption: a carpenter from Nazareth saying, "Follow me." Their routines were shattered, their perspectives challenged, and their lives forever altered. The disruption of Jesus transformed them from predictable people into passionate apostles.
Sometimes we resist change because we've confused comfort with contentment. We mistake our well-worn paths for God's perfect will, forgetting that the God we serve specializes in making all things new. The same God who led the Israelites on an unexpected forty-year detour through the wilderness still leads His people through surprising routes today.
What if we began to view life's disruptions not as inconveniences but as divine invitations? That traffic jam might be God's way of teaching us patience. That unexpected illness could be redirecting our priorities. That sudden change in plans might be opening doors we never knew existed. Even small disruptions—taking a different route to work, having lunch with someone new, or trying a new spiritual practice—can create space for God to work in fresh ways.
The beauty of disruption is that it often leads to discovery. When our normal patterns are interrupted, we're forced to pay attention, look up from our well-worn paths, and notice the new thing God is doing. In these moments, we might find that what we thought was an unwelcome interruption was a holy invitation to transformation.
This isn't to say we should abandon all routine—after all, spiritual disciplines and healthy habits have their place. But perhaps we need to hold our routines loosely, remaining open to the Spirit's disrupting work. Maybe we need to intentionally build some "holy disruptions" into our lives: taking a personal retreat, serving in a new ministry, or simply sitting in a different spot at church.
The question isn't whether God will disrupt our routines—He will. The question is whether we'll resist or embrace these moments as opportunities for growth. Will we cling to our comfortable patterns, or will we trust the Master Potter as He reshapes our lives?
Reflection
Think about a time when an unexpected disruption led to spiritual growth. What did that experience teach you about God's ways of working in your life?
What routines or patterns in your life might be preventing you from experiencing God in fresh ways?
Prayer
Loving Father, give us the courage to embrace the holy disruptions You bring into our lives. Help us to see beyond our comfortable routines to recognize Your transforming work. Grant us wisdom to discern Your presence in the unexpected moments, and faith to follow where You lead, even when the path looks different than we imagined. Amen.