Worship Wednesday - We Are All Like Rubber Bands

Rubber Bands are flexible, usable, highly functional objects. But they only serve their purpose when they are stretched. Think about it. If you wrap a rubber band around something that does not cause the band to stretch, it serves no purpose.

Similarly, when we get too comfortable, complacent, lazy, relaxed, our purpose and direction also seem to disappear. This is countercultural in a world that hails the La-Z-boy has a crowning achievement and touts early retirement as the ultimate dream. However, I believe that God reveals Himself and uses us most when we are stretched.

Now, it is important to note that, yes, a rubber band can be stretched too far and pop. This is why Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." When you feel like a rubber band stretched thin, He wants to ease your strain and carry your load.

I do believe, though, that he wants to use us and that our purpose in this world requires us to be stretched beyond our comfort zone. For many of us, we have been lulled by the American culture into a state of comfort that we didn't even realize we were in. We may need to awaken our souls to realize that there is work to be done, and we shouldn't be as comfortable as we are. This may be as extreme as quitting your job and becoming a missionary.

Or it may be as challenging as recognizing that you, as a follower of Christ, should be showing the fruits of the Spirit who lives in you. It's hard to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control on a daily basis to all of those around you. That's what I mean by "stretching ourselves." The truth is that God can do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, but we must first ask. Often, we don't ask until we are humble enough to realize our own limitations. And often we don't realize those limitations until we have stretched ourselves beyond our comfort zone.

Another thing about rubber bands that is also true about us is that when you put multiple rubber bands together to do a job, they are stronger. We have people around us who God created to help encourage us to find and fulfill our purpose in life. We are so much stronger when we let them help us.

And finally, rubber bands do become weak/stretched thin/cracked/old. They loose their flexibility and strength and become useless over time. Some of us get to feeling like this after we have been in the same place for a while. It may feel like we are going to pop soon or like we are just stretched out with little purpose. The beauty of the gospel is 2 Cor. 5:17 "Therefore, you are a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come." So we don't become old cracked rubber bands in Christ. In fact, His mercies are new ever morning and we become brand new rubber bands, ready to be stretched with purpose!