Flexibility and Faith
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 canceled vacations, weddings postponed, working from home, isolation, not seeing loved ones for a while, homeschooling, closed restaurants, no parties, and even not going into our Pine Valley United Methodist 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, in the Bridge service, 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! This will improve our outer attitude that Pastor Tim called our “outitude” this past Sunday. 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.
Thank you for all the ways you have been flexible during 2020. As we begin to regather at PVUMC, we are thanking you for continuing to be flexible. We are providing pathways for worship and discipleship, we are providing supplies and guidance, and we are asking you to partner with us in our safety guidelines. “Our goal is to provide as touchless an environment as possible. While we realize that no public environment is 100% sterile, we are taking every precaution and safety measure possible to ensure everyone’s safety on campus...We request face masks to be worn and will provide facemasks if needed. We will observe social distancing of 6 feet. We will provide multiple hand sanitizing stations throughout our campus and in each classroom. Temperatures will be checked for everyone participating in worship and discipleship classes /groups….While a deep cleaning will be performed by Pine Valley UMC Facility Staff, we ask that Sunday School teachers and group leaders help by wiping down surfaces and chairs after room use. Pre-Registration is requested for the Nursery and Children and Youth Sunday School classes...to gauge teacher and facility needs...we may need to move classes depending on space and number of people attending. This will help us adequately prepare for facility needs and space with safety/health guidelines…”
Together, with flexibility, we can do this! As Pastor Tim said, “We are made for good stuff because we are made of God’s stuff!” “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape!”