"Flexico"

What "Flexico" Taught Me About Walking with God

In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul gives us a direct command for our daily lives:

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." — Galatians 5:25

To keep in step with someone, you cannot be lagging behind, but you also cannot be running miles ahead. You have to match their stride, match their speed, and be ready to turn the moment they turn.

Yet, so many of us live our lives at a frantic, breakneck speed. We map out our schedules, set our goals, and rush ahead without consulting the Lord first. We run down the road, look back, and wait for Him to catch up to our plans. We treat our agendas as sacred text and view interruptions as enemies.

I was recently reminded of how destructive this frantic pace can be during a mission trip to Mexico, where we served with El Monte, a camp ministry and missionary training center in Ticuman, Morelos.

During our time there, the director, Paul Wilson, introduced us to a term that instantly captured my attention: "Flexico."

It’s a playful shorthand for a profound cultural reality. Mexico moves at a different pace than the United States. It operates with a beautiful fluidity, requiring you to stay flexible enough to change direction at a moment's notice. Over the course of our week there, I watched this play out in real time. We moved forward with our work, accomplished our tasks, and served the ministry—but it wasn't done at a panicked rush. There was room to breathe. There was room for people.

When we lack that "Flexico" flexibility in our spiritual lives, we reveal a lack of trust. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us of the proper balance between our responsibility and God's sovereignty:

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

We are allowed to plan, but we must hold those plans loosely enough for God to establish our actual steps. When we force our own timeline, we usually end up exhausted, disconnected, and running in the wrong direction.

Slowing down to match the deliberate pace of the Holy Spirit doesn't mean doing less; it means doing what matters with absolute presence. It shifts our focus from checking off tasks to being truly attuned to God's direction. We stop viewing a change in plans as a disruption and start viewing it as a divine redirection.

If we want to walk in lockstep with the Spirit, we have to be willing to let go of the frantic rush. We have to learn to breathe through the interruptions and trust that God's timing is infinitely better than our deadlines.

This week, I  challenge myself to slow my pace. Before I rush into my day, I will consult the One who leads me.   When plans change or delays happen, I won't panic. I'll take a breath, lean into the flexibility, and keep in step with the Spirit.

Will you join me?