Word Play: Adapt Ability - Friday
Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (NIV)
The Apostle Paul gave us a clear example of someone who was willing to adapt in order to share the message of Christ. He didn’t compromise or negotiate; he humbly set aside some of his rights, and a lot of preferences, which would have only stood in the way of his message.
Jesus was equally willing to do the same. All you have to do is pay attention to the way he interacted with people. Two people in particular come to mind. When Nicodemus, a high-level Jewish leader, asked to meet with Jesus, he requested that Jesus meet him at night so people would be less likely to know about the meeting. Jesus could have refused and told Nicodemus to meet him at a more reasonable time, but He didn’t. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He knew that Nicodemus, being a member of the Jewish ruling council, could engage at a higher level of spiritual discussion. So Jesus wasted no time in speaking to Nicodemus about spiritual rebirth, something Jesus knew would spark more conversation.
Conversely, when Jesus met the woman at the well, He knew she would have little context for spiritual matters. He chose to use the well the woman was getting water from to help her see things in a new way as He talked about Living Water. He began by simply asking her for a drink of the water she was drawing from the well.
I’ve thought a lot this week about our topic of adapt ability. It comes down to how much we’re willing to bend without breaking. It’s knowing when to be flexible (with our preferences) or inflexible (with the truth).
Friday’s Reflection
Trees that survive storms are not rigid. The rigid ones break. The trees that survive are flexible and bend. Be willing to bend for the sake of others, but bend towards the truth of our good Father.
