Radiate: 14 Devotions to Reflect the Heart of JesusSample

Flexible Faith

Yet You, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. ISAIAH 64:8 NIV

Could any of us have ever predicted the COVID-19 pandemic? Obviously, it caught all of us off guard and provided no mercy as it impacted our personal and professional lives. Although we would never have preferred the method in which we had to adapt, the silver lining to the uncertainty was that we all quickly realized that we are not in control. It forced us to reevaluate, recalibrate, and re-center ourselves in truth and seek what was next. Plans were forced to change, and disappointment was definitely rampant; however, in God’s grace, He opened our eyes to the power of surrendering to Him and adapting in whatever way is necessary.

Flexible faith is willing to move its feet because it knows that what God has ahead of it is better than anything that’s behind it. Flexible faith is willing to let go of anything that is entangling it so that its hands are open to what God is doing. Flexible faith is willing to be available to God in whatever capacity He asks because it knows that is ultimately where fulfillment is found—not through comfort but by obedience.

When we are malleable, we are able to bend toward whatever God is asking of us and revealing to us along the way. We do not marry ourselves to our own plans because we trust that God’s plans are always better. However, being flexible doesn’t mean we commit to everything presented to us or that we are forced always to bend; it means that we have a strong enough foundation to be able to respond to the nudges from God without questioning our ability to sustain. It is when we refuse to bend to God’s will that we eventually break.

What does this kind of flexibility look like in our everyday lives? Sometimes it means that we give grace to our spouse or family member when plans don’t perfectly align with our schedule or someone is running late. Sometimes it means being willing to do the non-preferential things in our jobs because resources are low and labor is short. Other times it means something much larger, like moving to a different city or stepping out of our comfort zones when God asks us to do so. However it looks, this ability to be adaptable always points to the place of our confidence—Jesus. In a culture of self-serving and self-preserving, choosing the narrow way means a willingness to sacrifice our own desires so that others may know Jesus.

What must we not be flexible about? Standing on the Word of God and believing in His character no matter how gloomy things feel around us. When we are firm about these things, they will provide the core structure we need to be strong, able, and dependable in the midst of change, unwavering in our mission but flexible in how we get there.

Hey Jesus, thank You for the situations and moments that force me to bend because they remind me that when I am found in You, I will not break. Help me be flexible instead of fearful. Your grace is sufficient. In Jesus’ name, amen.