How to Handle the Detours of Life

Recently while having my devotions, it dawned upon me. I was praying through my prayer list and with each name it became more obvious. Life and ministry are filled with detours which require making adjustments.

One person had lost a family member to COVID…adjustments; another had cancer…adjustments; one had a wayward child…adjustments; one was experiencing interpersonal conflicts with coworkers…adjustments; the lives and schedules of everyone were being affected by the pandemic…adjustments; and the list goes on…adjustments.

Making adjustments may not always be this dramatic or profound but it is one of the constants of life. If we do not have a willingness to adjust, life can be miserable for us and those around us.

It tends to take detours which require adjustments.

When we are faced with the detours of life we can either react or respond. Reacting is easier and sometimes even feels better for a few minutes. But it seldom resolves the issues. Responding to the detours of life is an opportunity to reveal character.

I admit, I can more graciously adjust to some things better than others. My desire is to skillfully handle challenges, inconveniences, changes, pressures and people problems…Biblically. The reality is as much as I prefer change over the status-quo…I want it on my terms.

So how can we live our lives in such a way as to respond rather than react to the detours?

• Take a moment to pause before responding or reacting. This may require going for a walk, listening to some music or taking a coffee break.
•  Walk away to a quiet place and pray. I find this especially helpful when I don’t feel like praying.
• Review the Biblical principles that should guide you in this moment of pressure or crisis.
• Reach out to a trusted friend or accountability partner for advice.
• Get out of the moment. Often, we react because we allow a moment to define reality rather than seeing the big picture.

I am a little further down the road of life so when I reflect on the detours, I have many years of instant replays in my mind. I have been married for 47 years to a wonderful, godly woman; but we still are making adjustments. I have been in some type of ministry for over 45 years, ministry which has involved preaching, teaching, discipling, and developing leaders globally. Now I am in the fourth quarter of life and ministry and am still needing to make adjustments.

From what I can see from my vantage point, making adjustments is going to be something I do until I get to Heaven. With that in mind, I need to handle these adjustments in a way that would please God and teach other young leaders.

What do you do to handle the detours of life?