“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” — Jeremiah 29:11
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I remember our college professor teaching us the components of physical fitness while I was studying to earn my bachelor’s degree in physical education. I loved the mnemonic device and sentence she taught us so we would never forget the five components of health-related fitness: “Candy Makes My Body Fat” — Cardiovascular endurance, Muscular strength, Muscular endurance, Body composition and Flexibility.
Skill-related fitness components consist of speed, balance, reaction time, power, coordination and agility. Agility is defined as the body’s ability to move quickly and easily. Great athletes are agile, like the wide receiver who makes sharp cuts on his route, the cornerback who can defend and react to his opponent’s move, or the basketball player who can quickly transition from her good defensive stance to dive on the floor for a loose ball. Agility can separate the good athletes from the great ones.
I believe the same can be said of leaders. Great leaders must be mentally agile. They must be able to respond. There will be times they must pivot and change direction. Leaders are often placed in fluid situations and circumstances, and the good leaders are able to adapt and adjust. Leaders must be flexible. They must be agile.
God wants us, as His followers, to have the same mentality of an agile athlete — one who is willing to be used by God in whatever situation or circumstance. It’s so easy to get caught up with our agenda, our calendar, our to-do list. We organize, plan and strategize our day, our week, our month, our year, our lives. Before we know it, we live in the “easy” lane; we have the comfortable life and the so-called “cushy” job.
God has never called us to be comfortable. He’s called us to be holy and live our lives to honor and glorify Him. Be careful of making “comfortable” your top priority.
As much as I love planning and crossing off items on my to do list, God requires obedience to Him. There will be times when we must adjust. There will be items He adds to our calendar and times when He takes items off of it. He may call us to a different vocation, a different job, a different state. He may call us to lead a group or serve in a particular area. God’s ways are higher than our ways and His plans are higher than our plans (Isaiah 55:9). Jeremiah reminds us that God knows the plans for our lives.
God has been teaching me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. He wants us as believers, as true followers of Christ, to be agile. When we fully surrender to Christ, we say “yes” to God. May we be all in — 100% committed — so when those “unprepared” moments occur in our lives, we can be agile!
Prayer: “Dear God, may I have the attitude of adjusting my own will to Your will. I realize You know what’s best for my life, so please give me the agility to change direction and follow Your plans for my life rather than my own.”
— Jim Good
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