A rubber band always seeks to be at rest
I remember, as a child, playing with balsa wood wind up toy planes such as the one above. I loved winding them up and watching them fly. At first, I would wind the rubber band only a little bit, fearing to snap it. However, after a few times I’d wind it tighter and tighter, first with one twist of the rubber band, then secondary knots formed. Sometimes, I’d wind it too tight and the rubber band broke altogether.
A true Spirit-led life always wants to be at rest, like that rubber band. No matter how tightly we wind ourselves, we always, if we let go, snap back to where God wants us to be. Snapping back is a fundamental characteristic of the spiritual move of Tabernacles that surprises many. When we let go of our own lives, we snap back to what God originally intended. Just as the wound rubber band wants to release it’s tension, it is in our nature to be at rest in Him.
Do you have knots in your belly?
Through our own will, we wind up our lives in directions that we never should have gone, seeking to fly under our own power. We feel the knots in our bellies, but tell ourselves this is the price we pay to realize our dreams. However, we always have to fight against the tension building inside us, for if we let up even for one moment, we unwind – sometimes very quickly.
There’s a better way to fly
However, there is another way to fly in God, a better way. We can spread our wings and glide on the winds of His Spirit. Like a majestic eagle, we can ride the thermal winds of His love, allowing ourselves to be lifted up without effort or strain. Our flight is not manic as with the rubber band unwinding all at once, but we gently soar as our Father does all the work. The nice things about soaring with God is that you gain his perspective on the world.
In Tabernacles, when you let go and let God have complete control of your life, you tend to snap back to where He wanted you to be in the first place. Whatever was God’s perfect will for your life, you find that path again as you come to rest in him. Most of our daily straining is not because the world is a bad place, it’s because we are willfully going in a direction God does not desire.
Unwinding in God
When you feel tired, when you feel worn out, instead of winding yourself tighter, simply let go and come to rest in Him. When you’re not under your own power, you are free to take advantage of the lifting power of God’s Spirit. Glide instead of struggling, my friend, let our Father do the work, and rest in Him.
