CORRECT POSTURE = STRENGTH
Correct posture is something I have to consciously alert my
body to - slumping over and slouching just feels more comfortable. As I grow older and arthritis and muscle pain
control my body, it is even more difficult for me to maintain the correct
posture at all times.
I wish I had a dime for every time my mother told me to
“stand up straight,” or “sit up straight,” when I was young. And then another dime for every time she told
me, “hold your shoulders up,” as an adult.
Even when she was elderly and in the nursing home and I was slumped down
in the chair beside her bed, she would in her feeble little voice say, “hold
your shoulders up!” I knew she loved me
and wanted me to be healthy, but it felt so much better to slouch!
Who knew that posture could be so important to overall health? It really hit me a few years ago when I went
to a chiropractor because I literally could not stand up straight because of
excruciating pain in my low back. Plastered on every wall of the chiropractor’s
office were posters about keeping your back and spine in alignment with correct
posture to avoid pain and disfigurement, plus a plethora of other negative conditions. Holding your spine in alignment leads to
feeling better in many areas: your circulation, your muscle tone,
your digestive system, and more.
Our spiritual posture is even more important than physical
posture. How many times have we felt slumped
down under the pressures of life? There
are times when it is hard to even stand under the weight of the pain and
stress. If we reflect back a little, we
will realize our posture has not been right for some time. It’s usually a gradual decrease of spiritual
input and time spent in the Word or communication with Father God.
Just as I had ignored my posture for some time and had let
the slumping and slouching cause me to get in a bind with back pain, we can let
our spiritual posture slip and next thing you know, we are weighed down with
life. Spiritual posture consciousness
begins the moment you choose to follow Christ.
You begin reading His Word, praying and devoting time to advance His
Kingdom. This must continue daily to
build our stamina and strength so that we can be offensive instead of defensive
in our efforts to stand strong through life’s battles. We can’t wait until the pain sets in and say,
“I wish I had prayed and studied His Word more; I’m weak.” We must build those spiritual muscles constantly
to maintain strength in the days to come.
There is no quick fix to strong muscles.
What do you do first thing every morning? Grab the television remote, or your
Bible? Grab your i-Pad/i-Phone, or grab
an inspirational book to get His Word in your spirit for the day? Chat with a
friend on the phone, or spend some time in prayer to your Father? Our loving God, with mercy and grace, waits
patiently for us to turn to Him so that He can assist us with every part of our
day. But if we never invite Him, we are
basically on our own to face all the trials and temptations. It is so much
easier to invite Him early in the morning than to wait until we are in the heat
of a battle later in the day.
Our God is a good, good Father who never wants us to fight
battles on our won! So, stand up
straight, hold your shoulders back, lift up your head, and be in correct posture
to receive His strength and His blessings!
If
you are weary in the battle, you are fighting too much on your own! Let God take charge!
