Stretch

Isa. 54:2
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.

The concept of stretching is very important for anyone who desires to make any meaningful progress in life. God has so designed everything in a manner that makes it almost impossible to make progress without any stretch. Even the human body grows by this same concept.

It has been revealed that for a muscle to grow, it must first undergo "micro-tears." When you lift a weight that is slightly too heavy, the muscle fiber stretches and tears. It is only in the repair of those tears that the muscle becomes larger and stronger than before.

If there is no tension, there is no transformation. The "pain" of the stretch is actually the signal that growth is happening. So If the human body grows by stretching, it follows to say that to reach anything significant in this life, we must stretch.

God will always require us to stretch to reach whatever goals we want to attain. Stretching doesn’t always come easy, otherwise everyone would’ve been stretching, it takes some effort and pain sometimes to stretch, and not everyone is willing to put in the personal sacrifice.

I will share a few areas that you can stretch to experience some quick appreciable progress in your life.

1. Stretch in your Imagination

Many Christians do not use their imaginations; they live only in the reality of today and nothing more. The ability to imagine is a great blessing from the Lord. In your imagination, you can be whosoever you want to be, you can go anywhere you want to go, and you can do anything you want to do. God gave us the ability to imagine for obvious reasons; He wants us to use it in a good way for our advancement, but many never use this great blessing. You must allow your imaginations and thoughts to reach out wide beyond where you are today. 

You may not be in a good place, but it will be great injustice to yourself to simply seat back and do nothing, the least you can do is to imagine; imagine yourself in a good place, imagine yourself married with kids, imagine yourself doing great in your business or career, imagine yourself living in a beautiful house, imagine yourself ministering to thousands of people, and I can go on and on, but the bottom line is you must use your imagination positively.

The scripture says in Eph.3:20, Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

So don’t only ask God for things, think! 

2. Stretch in your Quest for Knowledge

Prov.18:15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Don’t ever come to the place where you stop learning. Be a life-long learner. Have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

The story is told of one of the greatest artist that ever lived. At age 87, having already painted the Sistine Chapel and sculpted the David, Michelangelo famously wrote in the corner of a sketch: "Ancora Imparo" ("I am still learning").

If one of the greatest artists in history felt he hadn't reached his limit, we must never let our thirst for knowledge go dry. Read a new book, get another degree or certification, embark on a training, by all means do whatever you can to improve you knowledge and your life will definitely be better.

3. Stretch in Prayer

I could never emphasise enough the place of stretching in prayer. Kenneth E. Hagin in speaking on prayer, commented that it was more important to know how to pray that to have a college education, just think of that for a moment.

Don’t think of prayer as a "vending machine" where you put in a request and the result drops instantly, but as a Deep Well. A shortcut is like trying to find water in a puddle, it’s easy to reach, but it dries up when the sun gets hot. Stretching in prayer is like digging a deep well. It takes more time and effort to develop in prayer, but once you hit the artesian spring, you have a source of life that never runs dry, regardless of the season. 

4. Stretch in your Actions

James 2:17-18
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Sometimes it doesn’t look like it is feasible, but when you step out, God will step out with you. Be willing to step out and take action!

Peter had to physically lift his leg over the edge of a boat during a storm.  God didn't make the water solid before Peter stepped out. The "Stretch" happened in the air, between the wood of the boat and the surface of the sea. 

God will meet you in the space between your comfort zone and your destination, and that if you choose to take action. By the way, there is always an action you can take in faith, even when nothing seems feasible.

5. Stretch in your Giving

Giving isn't a "stretch" if it doesn't change your lifestyle or require faith. Stretching in giving means releasing the very thing you think you need for your own security, trusting that your supply is not tied to your bank account, but to God’s resources.

Ecc.11:1-6
1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
They empty themselves upon the earth;
And if a tree falls to the south or the north,
In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the [a]wind,
Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.