We must always thank God for you, brothers and sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing. (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

Ponder It.

How have you experienced tension in a negative way? A positive way?

How does it feel to have one thing “bounce” you into another?

What momentum do you need to gather and use right now in your life?

Receive It.

Tension isn’t always a bad thing. It gives us spring and momentum. Consider the tension of a trampoline. If the threads are too tight, they will snap when under stress. If they’re too loose, they will sag and not support people or will not bounce back to catapult the person trying to bounce. The tension provides exactly what is needed to let someone jump up and down with rhythm, get the momentum to flip and soar. Tension is necessary.

I don’t know if we ever live without a bit of tension. Tension doesn’t have to equal stress. It’s a stretching to a critical point between too tight and too loose. And isn’t that what we have to live with every moment of every day? We were made for heaven. Yet we live on earth. It’s our temporary home. Our eternal purpose is in heaven, but we have purpose on earth as we live this life with a fullness and focus. We live in the world but we’re not of the world. We are of heaven. Because God knows what we’re doing on earth and how it fits together with our eternal purpose, as we yield to Him, He creates the perfect tension we need. Of course, we’re not going to live in a perfect state of tension for long. We’ll ebb and flow because living the world includes sin. We get distracted. We get off track. We misunderstand what God wants for us in a situation. We take steps away instead of steps toward God. We stay put when He wants us to move, or we move when He wants us to stay put. But when we live in the tension God provides and intends, He uses that tension to give a spring toward the next step. He starts the momentum that carries us forward in our faith journey.

Live It.

Consider the difference between jumping on a trampoline and jumping on a concrete slab. Consider the difference between dribbling a ball filled with air and dribbling a ball that has little to no air. God wants you to trust Him to fill you up. He wants you to jump and move on whatever surface in whatever timing He purposes. When you trust Him for the best tension in your life, your faith will keep the momentum God intends.