Blessed Are the Flexible

The first time I heard him say these words was in response to our plans being shifted quite heavily while ministering together. We continued on, while adjusting things on the fly, and accomplished most of what we had originally set out to do. But this only happened because we were willing to be flexible and this has been a much-needed life lesson for me to learn. The reason I say this is because in the past I really did not appreciate plans changing. If plans were made, they should be kept! I am not 100% sure what the source of this inflexibility was whether it is selfishness or the need to be in control but it is an area that I have seen some improvement in.

But the fact is that Ezra’s motto is true – those who are willing to be flexible are blessed – they are happy! And when it comes to being children of God and disciples of Jesus, I think this is a great attitude to have in how we face life’s sometimes unpredictable curveballs. Let’s look at two examples of how people in God’s Word were blessed because of their flexibility:

¹ The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you. ⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him.  Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. ⁵ He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. – Genesis 12:1-5

Abram was an older gentleman that was probably quite set in his ways. And one day God speaks to Abram and tells him he needs to make some life changes… not small ones but huge, life altering ones! But these changes were not simply for the sake of it but because God had an incredible plan for Abram’s life – ultimately that the whole world would be blessed by him through the arrival of Jesus many years in the future. In this moment Abram had a choice – continue with what he had planned for the day or respond in a flexible manner!

 ¹⁶ As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” ¹⁸ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.¹⁹ Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. ²⁰ Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him– Mark 1:16-18.

Imagine going about your day and a prominent man comes and calls you to follow him knowing that you would need to give your life in service to them not necessarily knowing what that means. These four men became world changers as Jesus’ first disciples. They were flexible and saw an opportunity that would not present itself again.

Now I know that these are two extreme examples of flexibility but I believe that God has plans for all our lives and sometimes those plans will reveal themselves through interruptions in our days, through how we respond to plans changing, and being open for God to nudge us in different directions when He needs to. I believe that if we are more flexible in life’s seeming inconveniences, we may just experience a blessing which we may never know possible. So, the next time life throws you a curve ball, ask your Father in heaven how He would have you respond and see what He has to say!

Much love,

Luke