Detours for Dummies
I’m sure you’ve all seen the “for Dummies” books. They are bright yellow and they range anywhere from Cooking for Dummies to Auto Repair for Dummies. They are a simplified, breakdown of a task that can be difficult or confusing. Pastor has spent several weeks teaching us about detours. That’s a lot of information and many pages of sermon notes. So, my hope here is to TRY to sum it up, as simply as I can, and to highlight the basics so that you can learn to navigate your detours.
Everyone goes through detours. Throughout the whole bible, we can read about the trials of our ancestors, so it’s nothing new and you’re not alone. Our initial reaction is frustration, and/or disappointment, but you’ll learn to realize that trials and tribulation can benefit you, IF you trust and believe. Remember, if it’s not God sent, it can be God used.
Satan’s plan is that your detours lead to defeat, but God’s plan is that your detours lead to delight. Defeat is when your way impacts your faith; victory is when your faith impacts your way. When you find yourself on a detour, stay focused. Just as you would use your GPS to navigate your way through a road closure, let God position you in the right direction, so you get back on track.
Detours take time. You’ve heard the saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Detours can be long and tedious, leaving us drained, maybe physically, financially, or emotionally. The bible tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We sometimes can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, nor can we see that God is working on our behalf night and day. But He is. Jer. 29:11 says that His plan is not to harm us, but to prosper us…so that we have a future. Strong faith is so very essential when you’re on a detour; knowing that God is in control and His plan for you is perfect.
We have to learn to relinquish control when we’re on a detour. There’s a song, Jesus Take the Wheel…when we try to control the outcome, we will often find ourselves more lost, or further away from “our” intended destination. Only when we can scoot over and let Jesus take the wheel can God set the stage for His wisdom to prevail. Through our detours, He’s growing us, strengthening and preparing us for what He has planned next. Only when our preparation comes into alignment with His purpose will we come out of our detour.
Lastly, once we’ve come out of our detour, we must give the glory to God. We here all the time, “oh, that was a lucky break” or “fate brought us together.” Words like luck, karma or chance are words people use to describe things they can’t explain, but every good and perfect gift comes from God. He is sovereign; He has supreme reign, providence, over all of His creation. Providence is defined as “divine superintendence of all things, guiding them toward their divinely predetermined end.” When you embrace this, it’s easy to see that God is responsible for promoting you from detour to destiny, not merely coincidence.
Detours delay. Detours take time. Detours are hard. BUT…detours mature us, and when navigated properly, they promote us to our purpose and destiny. Remember, greater things are born out of seasons of suffering than seasons of comfort. Embrace the detour.