One of the things I tell people when they ask me what has been going on with me recently…is that the things I have been learning and doing have been stretching me more than ever. There is a bittersweet root to this word, stretch!
stretch play_w2(“S0805700″) (str
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v. stretched, stretch·ing, stretch·es
1. to extend (someone) to the limit of his or her abilities
2. to extend (someone) to the limit of his or her tolerance
3. to draw out or extend in an area
Do you see how this could be beneficial, yet also a struggle?
As Christians, we are meant to be stretched and molded into someone better and stronger than we were before the trials and start. We are to be drawn out in areas that we are weak (and sometimes in our strengths). It is only reasonable that God would stretch us to limit our own abilities so that we have to depend more on Him and not on ourselves. This is when he stretches to mold us into a stronger, more mature Christian. As I have been told over and over again, we were not created to remain the same person. We are to grow and become more like Christ Jesus…in mind, body, and spirit. We have not yet arrived to perfection!
It is definitely still a very hard place to just rest in and know that God has a plan. When you are constantly trying to be more like Christ (Galatians) we initially want to be stretched, but then we see how it can be tougher than expected. Stuart Cutler said, “becoming more Christ-like might be about learning to deal with people as they are and treating them as individuals with different needs. Jesus often meets people who need help of different kinds but he always seems to take the time to hear people’s story first. How often do we assume we know what people need or want without taking the time to listen?”
This is exactly how I been stretched lately…by the relationships that God has ordained for me to impact. To do the will of God in those relationships demanded for me to be stretched outside of my own abilities and knowledge to learn more and think outside of myself. I am meeting with about 5 girls now on a regular basis. In order for me to be able to show them wisdom, discernment and most importantly, love, I have to be open to God purifying my heart first.
Has God been stretching you? How does that play into who you are (or becoming)? Are you open to that learning moment?
