In one of our team meetings in February, my colleague Sigrid talked about 1 Kings 19:1–15. There was a lot to get from what she shared but my major takeaway was to make space for grace. It’s July now and so much has happened, and yet the word remains so relevant. Make space for grace.
Elijah was running away from people who wanted to kill him. He was basically running for his life. He was with his servant but then he left his servant and went on his way to the wilderness where he asked the Lord to end everything because, I guess, he was just too tired of everything that was happening and couldn’t find any other hope for what he was going through. But the Lord had other plans. The Lord gave him physical recovery through food and sleep, and after that a fresh new mission.
How many times in the past five months have you found no way out to what you’re going through? For a lot of us, this pandemic has caused one of the most tiring seasons in our lives and it doesn’t help that creating a vaccine is not something we personally have any control over. I don’t know when and how it’s going to end, but I’ve learned this season to make space for grace.
- Physical recovery is necessary. Eat on time and get enough sleep at night. Ask to file a one day or half day leave if you can’t take a longer one. One extra day of not working goes a long way for those who’ve been seemingly working 24/7. Make space for the grace of God to refresh you physically.
- Embrace fresh new missions. Status quo is our comfort zone. Quitting or simply not moving forward is the “flight” in the fight-or-flight response. If we’ve been asking the Lord for a break and He gives us a fresh new mission instead, it’s natural to grumble in our hearts but then that reaction shouldn’t be our eventual response. If we know that the new mission is from Him, no matter what it is, we do it. Make space for the grace of God to mold your heart to turn initial reactions into grace-filled responses, and use you to accomplish things you never thought you could.
- Take a 5-minute breather during the day. When things are overwhelming or even when things are in an unusually unchallenging pace, take a quick break to do nothing but be silent before God. The bible says (Isaiah 40:31 MSG) that those who wait upon God will get fresh strength. Make space for grace to recharge you even in the middle of the mission.
- Do the mission. Isaiah 40:31 doesn’t stop at waiting on God and getting fresh strength from Him. It is followed by an instruction to spread your wings, and a promise that when you do, you will soar like an eagle. The eagle doesn’t soar without first making the effort of spreading his wings. Do your part. Make space for God’s grace to bless your work with fruitfulness.
- Embrace the pace God has given you. During a crisis situation like a pandemic, most days would feel like running. Some days would feel like walking. Isaiah 40:31 continues on promising that when you wait on God and receive fresh strength from Him, not only will you soar like an eagle when you spread your wings, but during the days you’re running, you won’t get tired (MSG); during the days that God has given you a walking pace, you won’t lag behind (MSG). Make space for the grace of God to keep you going.
Make space for grace, and soar like an eagle.
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
How have you guys been doing? What are you going through? How has God matured you in the past five months? I pray this post helps you witness how amazing God’s grace can work wonders inside you, through you, and even for you!
