“Chin up, shoulders back, and back straight!” These instructions are often given to military recruits, athletes, and fashion models. Not a few slouching kids have heard similar words from a mom or dad at some point also!
It’s all about posture. Poor posture is increasingly causing health problems for people in our culture. Desktop computers, laptops, iPads, and smartphones keep us hunched over, heads down in strained and stressed positions for hours every day. All this slowly but surely takes a toll on our bodies.
According to medical experts, poor posture contributes to a plethora of physical, mental, and emotional issues for people. Posture researchers give us hope, however. They have made some interesting discoveries. When posture improves, breathing improves, blood circulation improves, moods and thinking improve, confidence increases, chronic headaches, and various other pesky aches and pains often disappear. Who knew? How we sit, stand, and walk matters!
What’s true physically, mentally, and emotionally is also true spiritually. Good spiritual health involves having the right spiritual posture.
The Bible clearly instructs us about proper spiritual posture:
Hebrews 6:11-12 (TLB) And we are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward. Then, knowing what lies ahead for you, you won’t become bored with being a Christian nor become spiritually dull and indifferent, but you will be anxious to follow the example of those who receive all that God has promised them because of their strong faith and patience.
To stay strong and go long in our spiritual life, we need good posture. We must live in the right position. This helps us avoid unnecessary stress, strain, and pain in our spiritual journey. It allows us to make it through the most challenging moments and seasons we face.
Here’s the right spiritual posture—keep love, faith, and patience!
Having been a Christian for approaching six decades and being in ministry for over forty years, I affirm the importance of the three. They represent keys to victory, peace, and joy. They also describe our most vulnerable spiritual underbellies. When love, faith, or patience start drooping, we start drifting! When we drift, we end up in spiritual danger.
The devil does everything possible to drag down our spiritual posture. He attacks our love with the temptation to hold grudges and offenses and become bitter toward others. He targets our faith by shooting flaming arrows of doubt about God’s Word and character. He drains our patience by whispering accusations and insinuations of seemingly unfulfilled promises. It’s a relentless, life-long battle.
Here’s a fresh reminder for you! Get your spiritual chin up! Pull your spiritual shoulders back! Stand up straight and declare:
“I refuse to let anything steal my love for others!”
“I will not allow anything to weaken or rob my faith in God and His Word!”
“I will remain patient, completely trusting God’s promises, faithfulness, and timing!”
Adjust your spiritual posture today. You’ll be stronger and better as you do!
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