Well it is the time of year that many people go on vacation. The problem with vacations, long weekends, and extended rest in general is that it normally takes us a few days to get back into the flow of work and such afterward. Even normal weekends cause a bit of that for most people. Consider most Mondays, it typically takes people a bit of time to shake the weekend cobwebs off and get back in the flow of work. Based on those observations, I wanted to share a short note with you today about something God has been showing me via several different sources in my life recently. What God has been talking to me about is flexibility.
Now as I get older I find my body beginning to have more and more trouble doing what it did but a few short years ago. My body's failings are not just limited too just activities either, my body does not recover like it use to either. A few years ago I could work in the yard, or go for a bike ride, and not feel it the next day. Now, if I miss a few days of physical activity, when I go back to it I find my body hurting the next day. It takes a few painful days for my aging body to get re-trained again. The main part of it seems to be the fact that my muscles/body are not as flexible as they use to be. Maybe it is from inconsistent use, maybe it just age, but they have to be stretched out rigorously, and often, before they respond well. Of course, that takes time, a willingness to work through the pain, and commitment as well.
Just like my physical body I find it is important for me to stretch all of my Christian muscles regularly too. What that means to me is that I need to participate in a variety of ministries regularly where it does not become difficult for me to do things that are out of the norm for me. Maybe that is why Christ always used common and basic examples to teach His disciples, He knew that we needed to have a simple pattern to follow if we were to be successful. By mirroring the pattern that is needed for my physical body to remain flexible, God makes it easier for me to see the pattern that is needed to keep my spiritual walk flexible as well.
Now I want to be very clear on a single point, what I mean by flexibility. I do not mean on issues of theology and/or key tenants of God and a walk with Christ, what I am talking about is in the area of usability. If we only do the bare minimum, or only work in a specific place in the body of Christ, then we will find our self uncomfortable and uneffective when we try something or anything different. This uncomfortableness and ineffectiveness results in pain, and that makes us avoid trying different things again or as often.
I am not sure if I have done a good job explaining what God has been showing me, so let me see if I can put it clearly in a few lines. Basically as we mature (notice I did not say age) in God we need to be careful not too get into the habit of only doing one or two specific things in the body, because this will both 1) limit our usability in God and 2) when we do "different" things in the body we will not be as effective, happy, or blessed during the experience as it will likely be painful for us. This is not to say that we all should not have a main ,or key, ministry or duty that we perform. I am just saying that we should be sure not to let that one thing become all that we do. We need to routinely flex spiritual muscles and abilities that do not fall into that area where we can be more usable due to our flexibility in the body.
Like most things God teaches me I know that I fall short of being as flexible as I need to be, but I do think this is one thing that God has consistently shown me the necessity of for my walk with Him to be both blessed and satisfied. I am sure that the degree of importance God has shown me about flexibility in my life may not apply to everyone else, but I do think ever Christian could benefit from having more flexibility and usability in their walk with God. Let me encourage you to begin, or continue, a consistent pattern of being involved in more then just one thing on Sunday and Wednesday. God desires for all of us to be flexible in ministry as we mature, and not become examples of single purpose, single call Christians that can barely move outside of their comfort zone and then hurt for days when they attempt to work outside their "zone". Like re-stretching my muscles after a few days away from the gym, it may take a bit of time to become more flexible, but long term the pain in worthwhile. Hopefully some of the above has made sense.
Have a great day, be strong, be courageous, and work daily to remain flexible in ministry.
