Flexibility: pliant; yielding to influence; characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.

Two of my granddaughters found a clothespin lying on my dresser. They are 6 and 7 years old, and the ensuing conversation they had between themselves about what their find might possibly be was so much fun. Of course, my grandmother used clothespins to hang clothes on the wire outside to dry. I don’t have a clothesline. I use clothespins to keep my bags of chips closed. Obviously, I had been snacking at some point and left my “chip clip” on the dresser. But it was eye-opening to learn that my two granddaughters had never seen one. They took turns squeezing the tension as it opened and closed and finally, the six year old says, “Oh! It’s like a fidget spinner. It’s used to help with anxiety!” They looked at me with satisfaction at figuring it out as I just smiled big. And then Holy Spirit began to speak to me.

Many Christians cringe at the word flexibility. The reason is valid. We know that the truths of the Kingdom need to be passed down to the next generation and it’s our job to rightly represent Jesus in our day. There are truths that never change. The cleansing power of the blood of Jesus that saves, heals, and delivers is certainly one. The Gospel message of the cross of Christ and work of salvation that Jesus wrought and now offers freely to all men is another. The fact that when we are born again, we are a new creation in Christ and are now citizens of heaven, is again, vital.

But, let me challenge us a bit. 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV), “of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”

Listening to my granddaughters told me something that is important to their generation. How to handle anxiety is high on the list of priorities for young people. Sadly, I often hear those of us who think of ourselves as mature in the faith, belittle the younger generation for not doing things the way we did them. We were taught to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and be strong. And although there is something to be said about being disciplined and working hard that does bring a sense of well-being to a soul. If truth be told, most likely Jesus has had to help us lay down our self-sufficiency and learn to rely on Him. It’s no different for this generation, they just come at it from a different angle.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to add more anxiousness to the mix. I want to be one who brings solutions to the specific issues of the day. That’s going to require me to be somewhat flexible in my approach at presenting Christ to people who are not just like me. It’s going to require mercy and compassion. Certainly, the truth needs to be the truth, but I’m wondering if we can’t start by listening for the true need around us and then following the leading of the Holy Spirit to bring what is needed in the moment. That seems to be the way Jesus approached his generation.

Are you pliable in God’s hands, and able to yield to the influence of the Spirit? Flexibility is the key!