Ryan’s message on Sunday offered us an example of what it may look like being a part of God’s plans. Using the analogy of a tapestry, he explained how each string was woven into a cloth to make for a unique design and big picture. We often get to marvel at the intricate designs and pictures of tapestries that people have created, but we rarely get to witness the process.
I would imagine that it would be challenging and take a lot of patience to go through each string and intentionally try to weave together strings to match the image you have in your head. I could imagine how frustrating it would be to have a knot in your string or if a string was not woven to your liking.
I think that the process of creating a tapestry can be similar to the Christian walk. Imagine for a second that the tapestry is the promises of God and the strings are the things that God has given us (e.g. our time, talents, treasures etc.). It may be hard to see how God can use us and the things that we have to fulfill His promises for our lives. In fact, the promises of God are actually for Him to fulfill, not us, but without the guidance of God through the Holy Spirit, we may try to weave things together based on our own understanding without knowing how God wants to do it. We may even focus on the details of the strings we have or don’t have and miss the big picture/tapestry that God is trying to design in our lives.
Creating a tapestry for our lives requires us to hold onto the big picture and promises that God has for us. It also requires us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding, but to submit to him so that he can make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).
Ryan helped us see that the disciples also struggled with the process. For us the death of Jesus on the cross was a wonderful act of love on the part of God. It is why we sing songs like “oh the wonderful cross.” The cross is not wonderful, but what Jesus did on the cross for our sins is wonderful, because he was willing to give His life for us so that we may be saved and have eternal life. But for the disciples, the death of Jesus on the cross was not wonderful at all. If you’ve ever lost a loved one before, then you may have a better grasp of what this may feel like. Jesus’ death would have been seen as a defeat, not a victory. They were focused on the details of the process rather than the big picture that Jesus had been telling them the whole time. The big picture was the salvation and the restoration of all things through Christ (Ephesians 1:10), and the strings were all the things that needed to take place (the calling of the disciples; Judas betrayal; death on the cross; etc.).
We may have “strings” in our lives which we feel like God can use and we may feel like there are “strings” in our lives that God can’t use or we may have “strings” in our lives that we don’t want God to use because of our own preferences or insecurities. We might even get tangled in the “strings” that were given to us and forget about the big picture. Be encouraged by the scriptures in Hebrews:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
– Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV
My prayer for us all is that we would continue to trust in God with all that we have been given and seek Him for guidance. May we hold onto the big pictures/promises of what God has for our lives and remain hopeful in the process. May we consider Jesus and what He has done for us so that we may not grow weary and lose heart. In Jesus’ name we have life and in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!