Do you remember going to the swings as a child? Exciting, wasn’t it? I remember sitting on the swing and asking my dad to push me. There was nothing like feeling the rush of the wind as I went higher and higher. Sometimes I would find myself getting scared the higher I went, but I knew my Dad was there to keep me safe. That’s a good memory… then I started thinking… when was the last time I’ve felt like that?
My grandparents have three tree swings in their backyard that I get to push my son on. I take a little swing now and then, but when I swing its different than it used to be. I know how to use my legs and feet to build up some momentum and push myself into the wind. The more I lean back and push out with my feet… the higher I go! I still feel the breeze in my face as I go higher but I’ve noticed something is different.
The anticipation is not there anymore. As a child I would run to the swing, jump on, gripping the ropes tight and bracing myself for the adventure of a lifetime. I was so anxious for my journey to begin… like a bird on its first flight. Now, I walk up to the swing, sit down, glance at my feet while gripping the rope and I push myself. No anticipation… where has the excitement gone? I guess my excitement started to slip away the moment I began to take control. My legs started growing and once my feet could reach the ground, this once amazing journey became just another activity in my life.
This is a world of busyness and it takes a lot of effort for some of us to sit down for a minute. Imagine being excited about sitting down and doing nothing… and I admit I’m one that doesn’t get too excited about doing nothing. I’ve realized that I need to be careful of what I’m doing and why. The more I take control, the less effect it has on me and others around. God has to be in control!
Ever been around a child that has gone through the anticipation of being pushed on the swing? They’re gliding through the air with a smile on their face, and smiles begin to show on others as they glance while passing. But once the control has shifted to the child, that amazing smile from the excitement of the swing begins to fade away as well as the effect on others passing by. This is the same in our daily walk as Christians.
God has placed us all here for a reason and that’s to glorify Him. God’s Word says in Ephesians 1:13-14 - And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. So it’s by the Holy Spirit we can praise and glorify God!
I’ve learned the more I try to do myself the less effect it has on others and myself. So I asked God to reveal to me how to change this. I always wanted to do more, because I thought the more I could do the more useful I would be for God. I heard this statement before which really spoke to me, “God is not as interested in my ability as He is my availability”. In Proverbs 16:32 - Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
It’s time to take a seat on God’s swing. Don’t walk over and sit down, RUN and be excited for as Jesus says in Isaiah 55:8-9 - “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Embrace the ropes that connect us to God and anticipate the push. Be patient as stated in Proverbs 16:32. Wait for the Holy Spirit to move you. In the book of Ezekiel the cherubim moved when the Spirit moved as well should we. John 16:13 - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. Once the push begins and you soar higher, don’t be frightened! Your Father is behind you to keep you safe and give you strength. Smile as you glide so others see the wonderful love of God.
Isaiah 42:5-7 - God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.