Reflection and Awe Lent Series - Stretch vs. Strain

As we consider what it means to have a servant spirit, one important phrasing comes to mind: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Being a servant is a balancing act. We do not want to become doormats to every whim of another, every ministry area, small group, or service. We don’t have to say yes to every request to have a servant spirit. Just because someone asks doesn’t mean we need to say yes. 

We can all think of examples where people have poured themselves into work or ministry to the detriment of their families at home. In plain language, you can have the best ministry in the world, help many people pastorally, or write the next bestseller, but if your spouse and children barely see you, is it worth the cost?

There are many good things for us to get involved in. Many needs must be met, and more are always around the corner. For many of us, the question we must consistently ask the Lord is, is this where You want me?

Our challenge is ensuring we pour ourselves into the right spaces and places. Where the Lord leads one person to serve will be vastly different from another. We can never compare our serving to another, as each believer has been called according to God’s purposes, not our own. 

As we use discernment and lean on the Holy Spirit for direction, we will learn the difference between stretch and strain.

Stretch is a good thing. Isaiah 54:2 tells us to enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes (NKJV).

Stretching grows us. It increases us. It gives more space for God to move and inhabit. 

Strain is damaging. It pulls us out of shape, disfigures, and injures us. 

The difference is subtle. If we’re not carefully following God’s direction, we can quickly move from stretch into strain without even noticing. 

When we walk and abide with the Father, discerning where and what He would have us do, we come into a place where grace abounds, and our servant spirit aligns with the will of the Father. 

As you navigate this Lent season, perhaps you feel stretched—teetering to the point of strain. We encourage you to lay your burdens at Jesus' feet and ask, “Lord, where do You want me?”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)