WEDNESDAY'S WORD - ALIGNMENT - Sadell Bradley 12/06/17 New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." - Brian Tracy, Author  On Sunday night, I awoke to excruciating back pain. I was writhing back and forth trying to get up to go to the bathroom, and could not stand fully nor walk easily.  I experience this periodically. In the past I had two car accidents: in one, I was side-swiped and the other, I was rear ended. Occasionally, a particular activity can 'throw my back out.' Usually, I go to the gym and walk it off, which I attempted to do at 4:00 am, but was still in pain. So I went to the Chiropractor who explained that my pelvis was rotated in such a way that my right leg was 1/2 inch shorter than my left. The strained muscles in my back were compensating for the lack of alignment in my hips. He shifted my hips back into alignment, and said I needed to strengthen my core. The shifting 'cure' made the pain even worse in the immediate, but ultimately would improve things.    ALIGNMENT is arrangement in a straight line, or in correct or appropriate relative positions.  We align wheels on cars and parts on machines. The routes of railroads are aligned, and obviously, the bones and muscles of our bodies align in mysterious ways.  ALIGNMENT is also a position of agreement or alliance. This figurative meaning is relational in context. Amos 3:3 asks, "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?"  Deciding to come into alignment with another is what we do when we're looking at the same thing and seeing two different answers. Someone has to say, "I'm seeing 3 here, but from your perspective it's 4, so we'll go with 4," or vice versa. Alignment resolves conflict and brings peace. Have you been out of alignment with God? Alignment requires humility. We are to align ourselves in submission to God and resist the devil (James 4:6-7)  There are also times when we must come into alignment with authorities (Rom. 13) parents, employers (Eph. 6), pastors (Heb 13:17), and eh hem...husbands (Eph 5). We can easily tell when we are out of alignment. There is spoken or unspoken disagreement, passive aggressive resistance, or even rebellion about a particular direction or viewpoint. We'd rather oppose, hinder, block or stall out the plan, than come into alignment. Often, it's because we think we're right about what we're seeing/interpreting. Saul thought He was right in persecuting Christians until Jesus confronted him. "It is hard for you to kick against the pricks," (Acts 9:5) meaning, it is hard for you to resist God's will. He continues to prod us into alignment, working in us both to will and to DO His good pleasure. (Phil 2:13) Now and then, we find it difficult to stay in alignment with ourselves! Author Shannon Adler said it this way, "When what you value and dream about doesn't match the life you are living, you have pain." Sometimes, it's excruciating. I thought the pain in my back was about my back, but it was really about my pelvis being out of line.  What is the pain in your life really about? Maybe it's time to come into alignment.

SUNDAY Worship

11:00 AM Worship
The Great Room Sunday Class
9:30 AM Youth Room Basement
at Wyoming Presbyterian
225 Wyoming Ave., 45215
For information 513-212-1131