“24-Hour Fitness” is the name of a chain of fitness
clubs. It is also a ‘fitting’ description of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Jesus
said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is ‘fit’ for the
kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The Holy
Spirit makes us ‘fit’ by stretching us, like leather, like new wineskins” (Matt. 9:17).
Speaking of "fit," having lost 25 pounds since last Fall, I have few clothes that do. And since we were going to attend my niece’s wedding,
I had to go shopping for something to ‘fit’ me, but would
also would be ‘fit’ for a wedding. Now speaking analogously, this last year has been a real stretch for me. But hopefully, it has made me more ‘fit’ for God’s work, and better ‘fitted’ for the Spirit's infilling.
Paul practiced 24-hour fitness, always straining and stretching toward what lies
ahead”
(Phil. 3:13). He also acknowledged that fitting and stretching, though painful, was necessary
(Heb. 12:11) in order that someday we all will be properly 'fit' together in Christ (Eph. 4:16).
There are two sides to every story, right? Think about the story of the wedding at Cana from the hostess’ point of view—possibly one of the worst, most humiliating days of her life—the day she ran out of wine (John 2). This first installment of Jesus’ ministry is followed by many such others—of people running out of something and His offer of fulfillment.
It's pretty elementary. Nothing lasts. Only Jesus. The gospel stories illustratae this fact. For example, the woman at the well was daily running out of water; Jesus offered Himself as living water (Jn. 4:10). When the crippled man sitting by the pool of Bethesda had run out of hope (John 5), Jesus restored his health and his hope. And when the multitudes ran out of food, Jesus offered Himself as the bread of life (John 6-7). The message is that His supply of grace, love, hope, joy, peace, and power will never run short: “out of His fullness we have all received” (John 1:16).
But Jesus patiently waits until our natural talents and abilities run their course. That’s when we discover that in the fullness of Jesus we are complete (Col. 2:9-10). I think the best day of the Cana Wedding hostess’ life was that day she ran out of wine.
When I am feeling particularly stretched, I have to remind myself that I am a ‘wineskin.’ Jesus said you cannot put ‘new wine’ into an old ‘wineskin’—because as the wine ferments, it expands, and will rupture an old wineskin. Do you feel sometimes like you’re being stretched so thin you may explode?
Our English word ‘stretch’ is used in many idioms; I think you may find these helpful to remember when you are feeling over-extended. Do you ever feel like you are on an empty stretch of the highway or like you are on the last stretch of a race? Or conversely, maybe your circumstances are constraining you, and you feel like you are being squeezed into an airplane seat; being unable to stretch out is stretching your patience.
Then the word “stretcher” is also enlightening. Stretcher bars are used to tighten a canvas so the artist can draw or paint on it. Are we not God’s workmanship? Or a stretcher can be used to expand a leather shoe to make it fit better. Isn’t it God’s work to make us ‘fit’ for His purposes? Or a stretcher is used to transport sick people to a place where they can get healthy (think about that!).
Maybe you think I’m stretching a bit with these metaphors? So let me end with Paul’s use of the word. During his prison stretch, he wrote to the Philippians: “one thing I do: I forget what lies behind and I reach forward to what lies ahead…” (Philip. 3:14). The literal meaning of the word “reach” is “stretch.” Paul says “I am stretching forward.” Would it be a stretch for us to read into Paul’s words that stretching is normal, even necessary if we are to get what God wants us to have? Next time you start to picture yourself on one of those medieval stretcher racks, remember: you are a wineskin.
