When watching a yoga DVD, I was trying to participate in an exercise where the instructor wanted me to raise my arms up over my head and get on my toes. He put it this way: “Push away from the floor.” When he said this, my mind was very focused on that floor underneath my feet, and I was very focused on keeping my shaky balance and not falling back down. I was pushing away from the floor, but it was a tedious and unbalanced thing.
When we are first converted, we are focused on the life we once led, and we try to push away from that life of sin. I Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to push away from every form of evil, and I Peter 2:11 calls on us to push away from the passions of our flesh. We are trying to walk away from the world and lift ourselves to something higher. Just as with yoga, however, our balance may not always be great, and we will need to change our focus.
Reaching Up Versus Pushing Away
In the video, the instructor changed from pushing away from the floor to reaching as high as possible. The activity was the same, but now the focus was different, and that change is a necessary step in our maturation as Christians. When we begin actively reaching upward, then we begin to make real progress. Then we can stop focusing on what is behind us.
Romans 12:1-2 appeals to us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, being transformed from the world and conformed to the perfect will of God. We renew our minds in this by asking better questions of ourselves, by changing our focus from the physical to the spiritual. I Corinthians 9:24 then speaks to the discipline required for any athletic activity, and we must have that same endurance and discipline in our Christian race. We must press on to the finish, and Hebrews 12:1-2 calls on us to lay aside the weights of this world when running this race, keeping our eyes on our goal.
The Benefits of Reaching
When reaching forward, we become more engaged as a whole. Pushing away from something will put the focus on the parts doing the pushing, but reaching requires our whole body. Jesus, in Matthew 16:21-23, rebukes Peter for not being fully engaged in the things of God, releasing focus on the things of this word; and Matthew 22:37 calls on us to love our God with heart, soul, and mind – completely and totally engaged in following Him. Romans 8:6-11 tells us setting our mind on spiritual things is life and pleasing to God.
Also, once we begin reaching, we find we can go further than we think. We put limits on ourselves that don’t really exist, and when we put our entire focus on God, we can break past those limits in our service. Hebrews 4:11-16 talks about reaching and striving for rest in God, drawing near to His throne with confidence, knowing the mercy He has for us. I Timothy 6:9-12 encourages us to change our focus, fleeing the things of this world and pursuing, or reaching toward, things above. I Peter 1:13-16 simply calls on us to set our hopes on Christ, striving to be holy as God is holy.
Finally, when we are focused in our reach, the pain that comes with pushing away from the world seems less intense. II Timothy 2:22-23 calls on us to flee youthful passions and to chase after faith, peace, love, and righteousness. It can hurt to leave those passions behind, but the fruits of the spirit ease those pains. I Peter 3:11 calls on us to pursue peace, and I Timothy 4:10-16 encourages us to devote ourselves to our persistent spiritual progress, regardless of age or place in life.
Conclusion
When we reach toward something, rather than simply push away, we become more engaged in our mission. We find that we can push past the limits we thought we had, and the pain of the initial push away from the world goes away. Where is your focus? What are you reaching for? How much further can you reach? How can you better serve God on a daily basis? You may surprise yourself.
lesson by Donn Koonce
When we are first converted, we are focused on the life we once led, and we try to push away from that life of sin. I Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to push away from every form of evil, and I Peter 2:11 calls on us to push away from the passions of our flesh. We are trying to walk away from the world and lift ourselves to something higher. Just as with yoga, however, our balance may not always be great, and we will need to change our focus.
Reaching Up Versus Pushing Away
In the video, the instructor changed from pushing away from the floor to reaching as high as possible. The activity was the same, but now the focus was different, and that change is a necessary step in our maturation as Christians. When we begin actively reaching upward, then we begin to make real progress. Then we can stop focusing on what is behind us.
Romans 12:1-2 appeals to us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, being transformed from the world and conformed to the perfect will of God. We renew our minds in this by asking better questions of ourselves, by changing our focus from the physical to the spiritual. I Corinthians 9:24 then speaks to the discipline required for any athletic activity, and we must have that same endurance and discipline in our Christian race. We must press on to the finish, and Hebrews 12:1-2 calls on us to lay aside the weights of this world when running this race, keeping our eyes on our goal.
The Benefits of Reaching
When reaching forward, we become more engaged as a whole. Pushing away from something will put the focus on the parts doing the pushing, but reaching requires our whole body. Jesus, in Matthew 16:21-23, rebukes Peter for not being fully engaged in the things of God, releasing focus on the things of this word; and Matthew 22:37 calls on us to love our God with heart, soul, and mind – completely and totally engaged in following Him. Romans 8:6-11 tells us setting our mind on spiritual things is life and pleasing to God.
Also, once we begin reaching, we find we can go further than we think. We put limits on ourselves that don’t really exist, and when we put our entire focus on God, we can break past those limits in our service. Hebrews 4:11-16 talks about reaching and striving for rest in God, drawing near to His throne with confidence, knowing the mercy He has for us. I Timothy 6:9-12 encourages us to change our focus, fleeing the things of this world and pursuing, or reaching toward, things above. I Peter 1:13-16 simply calls on us to set our hopes on Christ, striving to be holy as God is holy.
Finally, when we are focused in our reach, the pain that comes with pushing away from the world seems less intense. II Timothy 2:22-23 calls on us to flee youthful passions and to chase after faith, peace, love, and righteousness. It can hurt to leave those passions behind, but the fruits of the spirit ease those pains. I Peter 3:11 calls on us to pursue peace, and I Timothy 4:10-16 encourages us to devote ourselves to our persistent spiritual progress, regardless of age or place in life.
Conclusion
When we reach toward something, rather than simply push away, we become more engaged in our mission. We find that we can push past the limits we thought we had, and the pain of the initial push away from the world goes away. Where is your focus? What are you reaching for? How much further can you reach? How can you better serve God on a daily basis? You may surprise yourself.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
-Colossians 3:1-2
lesson by Donn Koonce
