“…posture outwardly expresses an inward reality.” – Stephen Miller, worship pastor
We surely can all remember times when we’ve been corrected about our physical posture. What about being told as a child, “sit up straight!”? Mom always admonished me on this, as did my teachers. Recently my barber, of all people, forcefully corrected my shoulder posture while I was sitting in the barber chair. Just a couple days ago, I was scolded by my physical therapist for not wearing my sling because leaving the arm hanging in the wrong posture would slow the healing of soft tissue.
I’m getting the message! My physical posture is perhaps not perfect.
Posture is widely known to have substantial impact on overall health. A quick Google AI search will elaborate. Here’s confirmation from Harvard Health:
“Good physical posture is essential for overall health, acting as a foundation for musculoskeletal, respiratory, and digestive function. It prevents chronic pain in the back, neck, and shoulders, reduces joint wear-and-tear, improves breathing capacity, and aids digestion. Proper alignment strengthens core muscles and enhances balance.
Key Health Benefits of Good Posture: reduced pain and strain, improved breathing and circulation, enhanced digestion, increased energy and mood, better balance and mobility”
This got me thinking about a parallel condition – and perhaps vastly more important – posture in my life.
Over the past few years, I’ve become more focused on healthy spiritual (inner) posture. It’s with some sorrow that I recognize in prior stages of life my focus was almost entirely on all the stresses, struggles, fears, and various other daily emotional wounds. Impulsive choices dominated my thought process. Chaos ruled my life. I tried hard to manage the chaos and the resulting drama. I just had to “control” everything. The fear of losing control was an ever-present condition, a poor posture for sure.
Spiritually speaking, if this posture is poor or lacking, we tend to live emotionally, focusing on everything else that doesn’t feel right, at the moment. We become impulsive. As with physical posture and other ailments, our focus on the one important thing is overshadowed by all the other ailments and conditions happening in life. They begin to dominate our thinking, conversations and choices.
Consider some of these emotion-filled examples:
I’m tired of how unfair my manager is, so I’m walking out of this job today.
My spouse is impossible to please so it’s time for me to get out of this relationship.
That friend hurt my feelings so I need to hurt them back.
I’m bored so I’m going to go spend money with my credit cards.
I’m lonely so I’m going to seek out an inappropriate relationship.
God has not answered my prayers so I’ll handle this myself.
All of these, of course, are emotion-laden, impulsive, unhealthy and perhaps even dangerous reactions to particular forms of chaos or stress.
Even these days, it’s sometimes tempting to slip back into living on emotion and feeling. There’s a daily pull to get distracted by the trials, complexities and struggles that are inherent in our needy and self-centered human condition.
However, something changed in me.
I believe this is so key to your spiritual wellbeing as well.
If we focus on all the stresses placed upon us, we will never become spiritually healthy.
If our chaos and drama of the day dominate, spiritual health suffers greatly. Along with the emotions and impulses that accompany them, they’ll always fight to dominate us, no matter how hard we try to control them! Just like physical ailments, we’ll always have them.
But we can shift our focus – and our conversations, thought patterns, mindset, intentions and motivations – to the one thing that will bring everything else under that singular focus. Everything changes for the better – this is victory.
What changed for me is a recognition of this loss of focus when it happens, and then shifting my focus and posture back to Jesus.
For me, this takes some time, and maybe a long drive across the bay bridge, or going to the gym, or connecting with good friends and family, or spending time on a rocking chair in the stillness of my backyard. If I make room for that time, even turn up the songs of worship and most importantly get my eyes on the powerful and living Word, the emotions settle. The feelings quiet down. The tendency toward emotional choices in the moment evaporates. My breathing and heart rate slow, and my heart and mind begin to respond again to the still small voice revealing itself as I read and listen and reflect. Inexplicable peace is restored. My entire countenance brightens. Gratitude rises like a sweet incense to heaven. My mind and heart are open once again, to receive His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Take a look at these words of wisdom from ancient, inspired writers. Consider how they each relate to a healthy spiritual posture.
“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” – Hebrews 12
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”– Isaiah 26:3
“…I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” – 1 Timothy 2:8
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” – Romans 12:1
“…so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” – Philippians 2:20
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” – Psalm 95:6
We can’t overlook one of the most inspiring dialogs in all of Scripture when it comes to a healthy spiritual posture. Let’s visit with Jesus, Martha and Mary:
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'” – Luke 10:38-42
Every time I re-read this conversation, I’m immediately convicted! I’m often so eager to manage my chaos, to have everything “under control”, while all this upheaval dominates my conversation and mindset. Possibly, like me, you’ll need to refocus on your posture towards Jesus regularly. Just sit at his feet and listen. Over time and regular refocusing, it’s amazing how the Spirit of Christ will begin to bring His strength and power into your weakness, your chaos.
One final dialog with Jesus in the Gospel of John,
“…Everyone who has heard the Father…comes to me (6:45) …Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life….” (6:40)
Do you notice three aspects of healthy spiritual posture in these passages from John? Not only do they relate to believing in Jesus for salvation, but posturing towards Him to live out your eternal life here and now.
- One aspect of this posture for the first-century listeners was to really hear – to recognize the words of Jesus standing in front of them, as the words of God Himself. This “hearing” would refer to active listening, being keenly receptive to his words as being true.
- A second aspect was to “come to” Him upon hearing, a metaphorical reference to the “action” of being willing to follow, trusting that He could show them the way to eternal life.
- A final aspect of posture for those early listeners was to see Jesus in a different way – to “look to” Him, more than merely seeing; meaning in a sense acknowledging His call, His identity, and “turning” attentively toward Him.
One final and powerful promise that was received by the early church, and we receive it today, is found in Luke’s writing in the book of Acts.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” – Acts 1:8.
This profound truth in the Acts of the Apostles, not only relates to your power as a witness for Christ, but also to living a healthy, transformed spiritual and physical life. This is not an immediate process as we’d like to think, yet the Spirit is always ready and waiting – every moment – to empower us to greater levels. All we are called to do, as the dialog above illustrates, is receive it! But receiving can only happen if we’re living with a healthy spiritual posture towards Jesus.
What can you do today? Maybe you can prayerfully seek and respond to His call – a complete dependence on Him. Seek Him first, above all the chaos, and you will find Him. After all, how many times have you been told? Sit up straight!
