At first I only noticed the tired feeling in my legs as I climbed step after step, slowly ascending the huge tower. As we neared the top, I looked down and forgot about the muscle aches as they were quickly replaced with the feeling that my heart was trying to jump out of my chest. “Yep,” I thought as I looked at the treetops below, “a fall from here would definitely kill me.” All this fear just to go zip-lining at Camp Allendale.
Then, as I shifted my weight, I felt a new sensation. It was the feeling of the tower moving beneath my feet, swaying side to side. Strangely enough, this did not add to my fear. In the back of my mind I knew that this movement was normal, even good for the structure. It is the flexibility that helps it stand so tall. Even the great concrete and steel skyscrapers of major cities sway back and forth in the wind, albeit slightly.
In Christian life, flexibility is an asset. Through the years I have met Christians who are so rigid and inflexible that they refuse to do anything outside of their normal routine. The end result: they are ineffective in their ministry for Christ. Very often, God calls His people to step outside of their “comfort zones” to minister and serve in ways that, while difficult for them, are beneficial for themselves and others. This is the kind of flexibility we will be discussing today. It is the kind that helped the apostle Paul become “all things to all men” and lead an effective life for Jesus Christ. Let’s learn together why effective Christians are flexible Christians.
Nathan