Don’t Forget to Stretch

Pushing Past the Past. Pressing Into Purpose.  

Yesterday at the gym, I left class early—before we got to the stretch. As I walked out, my instructor called out, “Don’t forget to stretch!” I waved and told myself, I’ll stretch after I walk the dog.   

But I didn’t. Life happened. The opportunity passed. 

The next morning, I woke up sore and stiff. My body hadn’t recovered. And as I sat with that discomfort, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper: 

“You skipped the part that helps you grow. You skipped the stretch.” 

That hit differently. 

So, What Is a Stretch? 

To stretch means to reach beyond your current limits—to go further than what’s easy or familiar. 

We stretch in the gym to warm up, avoid injury, or get stronger. 

But spiritually? Stretching is when God calls us to: 

And just like the gym—if you don’t stretch, you stay stuck and sore. 

Your Past Can’t Go With You 

In Philippians 3:13–14, Paul says something powerful: 

“I don’t consider myself to have arrived. But here’s one thing I do—I forget what’s behind me and stretch toward what’s ahead.” 

Read that again: I forget what’s behind. I reach for what’s next. 

Sometimes, the hardest part of growth isn’t the reaching—it’s the releasing. 

Letting go of: 

You can’t walk into purpose while clinging to the past. 

When Moses Stretched, Things Shifted 

In Exodus 14, Moses is stuck. The Israelites are standing between an army and the Red Sea. No way forward. No way back. 

Then God tells him: 

“Stretch out your hand.” 

Moses stretched—and the sea split. 

That stretch didn’t just move water. 

It moved a nation into freedom. 

Some of the breakthroughs you’re praying for won’t happen until you’re willing to stretch in faith. 

Stretching Looks Like... 

It’s uncomfortable, yes—but it’s necessary. That tension you feel? It’s growth trying to happen. 

Final Thought: Stretch Into the Becoming 

I missed my stretch at the gym—and paid for it the next morning. 

Don’t miss your spiritual stretch. 

Because when you stretch: 

So today, don’t rush out of what God is doing in your life. Don’t skip the part that grows you. 

Remember: 

You’re not being pulled apart. 

You’re being stretched into the version of you that’s ready for what’s next. 

Don’t forget to stretch.