I tend to spend a lot of time looking down. I walk with difficulty with a cane, so I keep a close eye on the ground or floor to make sure I don’t trip or slip on something. I do most of my writing and computer work in my easy chair with the laptop actually on my lap requiring me to lean forward a little to look down at the screen and keyboard. As a result, my neck tends to get stiff and sore unless I stretch frequently by straightening my shoulders and looking up for a while. I think that is what we also need to do frequently in our daily walk with the Lord. The Message translation of Colossians 3:1 clearly points that out to us; “So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
Spending time every day alone with God is an important stretching exercise. Reading and studying His word; thanking Him; praising Him; then asking for His blessings for me and for others gets the kinks out of my neck spiritually as I look up to Him. I can’t even imagine feeling grateful and not knowing who to thank or feeling lost and not knowing who to ask for directions. We are so fortunate to be able to have such a personal relationship with God through His Son.
When death takes your soulmate, it is a painful reminder when you come home and want to say, “You’ll never guess what happened to me today” and there is no one with whom to share your experience. Thank God I am never alone. I share everything with Him, not just when I get home or during my devotions, but every minute and every step of the way. When something unexpectedly falls into place, I immediately look up and say, “Only you Lord, only you.” When I have a close call, I immediately thank Him for His protection. When I see someone else doing something stupid or foolish, I look up with a smile and say, “There but for your grace go I”.
There is another form of stiff neck we must avoid – stubbornness. May the Lord never say this about us, “For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. Your heads are as hard as bronze.” (Isaiah 48:4) Lord, keep our necks flexible and our minds open to your truth.