This devotional is from Churchleadership.org on the character of flexibility. Too often in society and life, we hold to our thoughts, ways, and structures to miss out on what God calls us into in love. May this begin to reorientate Zion into flexibility in love and not be so rigid in holding onto processes. Pastor Chris
Flexibility is being open to the plans and ideas of others, and willing to be instructed and challenged to change for the better. You have to be willing to bend; if not, your relationship will break. This character will help us see the big picture, how people and events are all interlinked with a sovereign God at the controls. In this way, we can see that our plans and ways are not autonomous; we can trust God, go with His flow, and make the most of opportunities and relationships. Therefore, we will be able to make changes in our plans and ideas to accommodate others, and fit the situation, centered upon Scriptural precepts (Psalms 40:8; Luke 14:27; Colossians 3:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:4; 1 John 2:15-17).
Inflexibility, Stubbornness, Arduousness, Conceit, and Self-Importance are all opposites. These traits are steeped in pride and are a heinous sight before our loving and Holy Lord! We see ourselves as the center, the key to the universe-or, at the very least, of what and who is around us. Therefore, we base all of our decisions on our needs and feelings, ignoring others, not seeing the big picture or being accommodating in order to make the right decisions and go in the right directions.
Flexibility will allow us to see our “delight” in the Lord, not in our plans or schedules. If you want to grow in faith, and in relationships, you have to be willing to stretch your Will so it can accommodate others. Yes, we need to set goals and have the best plans possible for our life’s direction and time management. We do this by gathering all of the essential information, thinking, spending a lot of time in prayer, and seeking godly advice. We also need to think through how it will affect all those in our life now, as well as its consequences in the future. That way, we can take the best course of action. And, when things do not go as planned, we can make course corrections-or even change ships!
By being flexible, we are able to see how others can help and challenge us. We can see how everyone in our lives are placed there, by God, for a particular reason. We can see how God works and uses various people to touch our lives, and us to touch theirs. We have to be accommodating, and eliminate pride, so we can make the most of our lives and take the opportunities He gives us with excitement, even when it means our original plans are scrubbed. Perhaps our plans were not carefully thought through, or the timing was wrong, or we did not take into account how it would affect us or others down the road. Maybe our plans are better, but for the sake of relationships we adjust to others. The result will be better, because relationships are more important than plans.
Being stubborn used to be a compliment a couple of generations back that someone was remaining true to their principles and convictions, regardless of the opinion of others. This was in the era when Biblical precepts were more the norm, and the Church had more influence. Now, being stubborn refers to a person who refuses to listen or follow reason or logic. He or she only sees his/her Will and ideas. With this mindset, they bully their way over others, or withdraw from participating in church life or relationships in general, because he/she does not like what is going on. Yes, there is a time to take a moral stand and not be negatively influenced by the ways of the world. However, we still must be salt and light, and the only way to do that is be involved-even when things do not go our way. Our chief purpose in life is to glorify God-not our selves or our ideas-no matter how good they may be!