The Slinky Effect

You’ve probably seen this before: hold one end of a Slinky, let it stretch out, then let go of it at the top.

The effect looks like a Loony Tunes cartoon defying gravity. Our brain goes “Whaaaat?”

Now let me pivot: I can almost guarantee that the average person remotely acquainted with religion has distilled it down to this: Do bad stuff…and you don’t go to heaven.

Religion then defines what the bad stuff is. In the Bible it’s called The Law. And it’s not just the Bible. Everyone has an internal law, whether we believe in God or not. We all have a standard: You don’t want people taking your stuff. You don’t want your partner to cheat on you. You don’t want people to lie to you. Or hurt you. There are variations, but all religions agree—and most people—on the “big things” that are bad.

But of all the religions and should haves and shouldn’t haves, there is one that’s a bit different. Okay, radically different. But many of us don’t realize it.

The apostle Paul got it. He spent the rest of his life trying to help others get it, even though he was beaten to a pulp, bull-whipped time after time, and had rocks thrown at him until left for dead. His body was a mass of scar tissues. All because he had a phenomenal experience of grace.

Paul had been trained as a Pharisee—a should have and shouldn’t have guy—until he met Jesus. He subsequently tried to explain what he learned and experienced…and he started with a foundational problem:

Well then, are we Jews better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.  ROMANS 3:9–12 (NLT)

Key words: under the power of sin. And the phrase “whether Jews or Gentiles” just means, well, everyone.

But here’s what’s interesting: God isn’t actually looking for rule-keepers. He’s looking for fruit-producers—people producing the fruit of his Spirit which he would place inside of followers.

And here’s where the Slinky comes in.

Imagine your life as the Slinky…with the hand holding it at the top being the power of sin. According to Paul, it’s got a grip on all of us. All us Slinkies are stuck in the should haves and shouldn’t haves universe.

And then the cross sets us free. In some cosmic fashion, it breaks the grip—the hand—that held us.

If our brains are at the bottom of the Slinky, it takes a while for the revelatory, spiritually-cognizant information about our true freedom to catch up. Even after we’ve been released. That’s why Paul says we must “renew our minds”.

Leaders, this is a key truth we must disciple our people in: who they really are in Christ Jesus. Free from a works-oriented paradigm, touched with abundant grace to become the fruit-producers of this precious power placed within us as we become fully surrendered.

The top has been released. Don’t live like the hand still holds you.

Dave Workman | The Elemental Group

The whole world lies in the grip of the evil one. The son of God appeared to destroy the work of the devil.  1 JOHN 5:19; 1 JOHN 3:8

---

What if you could identify and remove growth barriers? Empower your volunteers? Build passionate people? Make a real difference in your community? And what if you had church-tested tools for team-building and leadership development? The Elemental Pathway is a comprehensive holistic 6-month program combining online assessments, coaching, and action-learning, gamified tools for highly engaging, team-based interaction. See how it can work for you here!