Flexibility

The definition of being flexible is "being bent without breaking". I workout pretty regularly but I have always hated stretching exercises. I don't know why, I just hate it! However, the older I get the more important I see it is to stretch. It is important to remain flexible because your body is getting less and less pliable. As you get older you also find that to be true in other areas of life. You don't like to be stretched as much as you used to. You don't like to try new things or hear new ideas as much as you used to. You don't enjoy being around people who are different. That's called getting old! That is why it is so important to work at remaining flexible and open to being stretched by new ideas and new methods.

It is amazing, but younger people can be just as inflexible. They are afraid that if they "bend too much, they will break". Young Christians, regardless of age, for example, are often unable to flex in their thinking in spiritual matters. They aren't sure where the lines of flexibility end and the "breaking" begins. Obviously, it is better not to bend than to break. However, growing in the Lord in a healthy way will bring us to a place of greater flexibility without breaking. We come to a place in our growth in the Lord where we can fellowship with, love and value other Christians who don't believe what we believe about baptism, who don't believe the way we do about church government or possibly even what day we should celebrate the sabbath. We can honor them and fellowship with them without fear that somehow this will weaken our faith.

In essence we are talking about growing beyond being the"weaker brother", as Paul calls it in 1 Corinthians 8. Certainly, we all must go through that period in our development where we cannot bend for fear of breaking. However, there is a place of development where we truly experience a fuller experience of our freedom in Christ. We can love more!

I am not talking about compromising our conscience. I am not talking about violating the Scripture. I am saying that maturity brings flexibility without compromise. The Pharisees were totally rigid in their spiritual vision and their blindness cost them the Messiah. I wonder where you and I might be too rigid at this very moment.