Bent In the Wrong Direction

     After several years of problems with back and neck pain, I was convinced to seek the help and advice of a chiropractor in the area.  I had seen him for an initial diagnosis and a few adjustments when he presented me with several sheets of exercises which wanted me to begin doing daily.  Bending, stretching, tightening... nothing drastic really, but foreign to me.  Probably noting the look of horror that swept over my face at the thought of exercise, the doctor was quick to explain and reassure me.
   
     These exercises, he told me, were not difficult, but they were important if I were to achieve the best results in my efforts to be well.  He went on to say that I needed only devote a small block of time, just a few minutes each day, and I would begin to realize some powerful changes in the way I felt.  In his words, I could be feeling "like a new person" within a few short weeks.  Of course if I chose to only do the exercises once a day or sporadically throughout the week, the recovery process would be longer.  That, he explained, would be up to me, since he could certainly not force me to do anything.

     As we went over each exercise together, I moaned and groaned and complained vehemently that the contortions he was asking me to do just didn't seem natural to me.  In fact, they were downright uncomfortable.  He replied, "They seem unnatural to you only because you have been bent in the wrong direction for so long.  You've become accustomed to being out of line with a healthy, natural state of being.  If you give these exercises a chance, you'll notice a difference quickly and won't mind doing them at all.  Your life will be changed for the better."

     Our first experiences with the Christian walk may seem like that trip to the chiropractor's office.  We find that we are given "exercises" to do by our pastor, our Bible teachers, or even our new Christian friends.  Reading the Bible, attending church and Bible studies, even praying... all these things feel unnatural to us and may even make us uncomfortable at first.  But if we are faithful in practicing them for a few minutes each day it doesn't take long before we notice the difference in our life.  The energy expended will be well worth the return on our investment.

     Romans 5:12-21 explains to us that we are all born as sinners.  This was not the way that God intended for His creation.  Through years of living in sin, we have become so accustomed to our own ways that the ways of God may seem foreign and uncomfortable.  Only when we dedicate ourselves to following the exercises of the Christian life can we come to know what our natural state should be.  We will quickly develop a desire to walk in those disciplines because we will be filled with His Spirit.  It will be a glorious feeling of wellness, perfect and natural for the born again believer.

     I takes only a small portion of our day to engage in devotions.  Regular time in prayer will always yield mighty results.  Dedication to studying the Word of God will make a noticeable difference in our lives.  Begin your Christian exercises today and experience the relief that comes when you are no longer "bent in the wrong direction."

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

(2 Timothy 3:16-17)