Stretching Beyond Our Limit
We are called to work out our own salvation and to train ourselves for godliness, which is designed to stretch us beyond ourselves.
“Lie flat on your back. Let’s try some hamstring stretches.”
“That doesn’t sound like fun.”
My physical therapist, Amanda, slowly lifted my leg and leaned into my hamstring. “You have to give me control of your leg.”
I’ve been protecting my right leg for close to thirty years, so I’m not surprised that I subconsciously guard it.
She continued stretching me for a couple of minutes, then went back to massaging my Achilles tendon area with some sort of instrument that genuinely looks like brass knuckles. Don’t think I haven’t mentioned that to her.
A couple of new patients waited in the lobby, but they had a clear view of the main floor where I was wincing and closing my eyes in pain as Amanda worked on me. I’m pretty sure I saw fear in one of the guy’s eyes as he wondered what he was getting himself into.
Technically, I’m in PT because my plantar fasciitis has flared up again. But since I also ruptured my Achilles tendon on the same leg, it’s all connected. And both are super tight; hence, the pain.
I’m slowly realizing I should have been in PT way before this (I did PT back in the 1990s after my initial injury but not since). They tell me now that the scar tissue around my Achilles tendon is mostly permanent. They can break up a little of it, but I’ve had this condition since 1997. Progress is going to be slow and minimal.
As Amanda stretched my hamstring and encouraged me to give her control of my leg, I thought about the spiritual disciplines in the Christian life. We’re so used to protecting ourself that we forget that we signed up for a life of surrender.
When we get out of the habit of practicing the spiritual disciplines, we don’t realize we need them until it’s almost too late. Not that it’s ever too late to get back on track, but sin can leave a huge wake that is difficult to navigate and it dims our light.
Donald Whitney put it this way in his book “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”: “Can we expect the flames of our worship of God to burn brightly in public on the Lord’s Day when they barely flicker for Him in secret on other days?”
When I say spiritual disciplines, I’m talking about things we do to set the stage for spiritual growth, such as Bible reading / study / meditation / memorization and prayer (private and corporate). Others might include service, silence before God, fasting, and, as this article suggests, even celebration to remember God’s goodness.
As we engage in these practices, the Holy Spirit uses them to grow us. My theological tradition calls such practices “means of grace.”
Philippians 2:12 (ESV) comes to mind: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
And in 1 Timothy 4:7-10, Paul seems to expand on the reason behind putting in spiritual work: “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
Living the Christian life apart from spiritual disciplines is like me trying to protect my leg for thirty years, hoping to prevent further injury. Amanda could tell right away that I wasn’t giving her full control, even though I didn’t realize it.
So now, I’m doing the work at home – stretching, rolling and icing every day, knowing those activities will lead to improved physical health. I just need to make sure I’m doing the same with my spiritual health.
July Spotlight
Our first loves, first experiences, and first favorites are sacred grounds.
They shape us in ways our second loves, second experiences, and second favorites do not, and cannot. We go into firsts with our eyes shut, without any reservation, because we don’t know any better, and our firsts become the measuring stick for every love, experience, and favorite afterward—when our eyes are fully open and we are more cautious.
If you enjoyed Common Grounds: Contemplations, Confessions, and (Unexpected) Connections from the Coffee Shop, then you’ll love this second dose of introspection that will take you back to a simpler time in your life.
Also, during July, all of my e-books are 25 percent off at Smashwords (click the banner below for the list):
I’ve got one more sale to tell you about. From July 20 through August 1, you can get 40 percent off the following essay books Common Grounds, Sacred Grounds and Higher Grounds exclusively at Kobo (in Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand).
Use Promo Code: 40JULY at checkout.
Here are some tidbits you might find interesting this week:
If you’re struggling with what to pray for someone, consider using this prayer from Augustine: “Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give Your angels and saints charge over those who sleep. Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest Your weary ones. Bless Your dying ones. Soothe Your suffering ones. Pity Your afflicted ones. Shield Your joyous ones, and all for Your love's sake. Amen.”
Loved this article by Sarah E. Westfall about words she carries around with her.
I may have mentioned this before, but in case I haven’t, check out the Bookly app. It’s a fantastic tool for tracking your reading habit, and it often holds read-a-thons, which is inspiring.
A Gospel Legacy by Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage is so rich. These two sentences in the article really hit me, especially after losing a dear friend a year go: “As we age, we may find ourselves surrounded by silence, the silence of an empty home or apartment, the silence left by friends and family gone to be with the Lord, the silence of days no longer filled with work deadlines and lunch dates. Instead of filling that silence with the clanging gongs of 24-hour news or the numbing noise of social media, let’s sit in the silence and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.”
We, as the church (both as a people and the institution), need to be careful to not preach moralism in place of gospel transformation.
When Lee isn’t writing essays, devotional books, or Christian fiction, he is a freelance editor, as well as a freelance journalist who has written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also a fan of NASCAR, baseball, tennis, books, movies and coffee shops.