We all seem to be shocked at how 2020 has unfolded. None of us saw it coming. But, God did and He is not surprised. Many people have experienced cancelled vacations, weddings postponed, working from home, isolation, not seeing loved ones for a while, home schooling, closed restaurants, no parties and even not going into our church building for a while. While this has been difficult I do believe God will bring good from it. Romans 8: 28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I believe we have learned to be flexible! Sunday we sang, "Graves Into Gardens" by Elevation. The words, “You turn graves into gardens, You turn bones into armies, You turn seas into highways.” In Exodus, the Israelites were trying to escape the Egyptians and they were heading right into the Red Sea. They were sure to die but God had another plan. He split the Red Sea just long enough for them to get away from the Egyptians. You know no one saw that coming! God always has a better plan and we need to trust Him!
The definition of flexibility is the quality of bending easily without breaking. Sometimes we are rigid in our ministry and we need to learn to be more flexible. Paul learned to be flexible in whatever circumstance he was in. When we are flexible we are open to others ideas and plans. Oftentimes we will be challenged to change for the better. The more flexible I become in my spiritual life, the more trusting I am with God. He can see the big picture, I can’t. Colossians 3: 1-2, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” I begin seeing God controlling events, people and ideas. We begin to want to do God’s will. Psalm 40: 8, “I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” God’s purposes might be different from ours. James counseled us to be flexible. James 4: 15, “Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” Why aren’t we flexible? Maybe we are being prideful or stubborn and thinking of ourselves first so we base all of our decisions on our needs, our feelings and accommodating ourselves. If we want to grow in our faith, we must be willing to bend and stretch to accommodate others.
How can we stretch and be flexible when we really don’t want to? Philippians 4: 13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” With God, we can be flexible with a good attitude, even when the circumstances are not favorable, because we trust God! 2 Timothy 2:4, “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” When we choose to go with the flow, usually a blessing will be following.
Even though we have been very flexible it seems as things begin to open up we are still needing to be flexible. Maybe the positive word for 2020 is "flexible". Whether school, work or church, we are trying to follow safety guidelines. We continue to wear face masks and observe social distancing of 6 feet. We use hand sanitizer all the time. We wait in lines at some grocery stores. We even get our temperatures checked before going in some places. We even pre-register for church to help adequately prepare for facility needs and space with safety/health guidelines. When I look at our flexibility I see God has already brought some good from this.
Together, with flexibility, we can do this! As my pastor said, “we are made for good stuff because we are made of God’s stuff!” Let's remember who and Whose we are even when things are not going our way. “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape!”