Column by Manning Pastor Sam Livingston: Our posture tells the story
Most humanistic settings require a certain posture from the participants. A boxer enters the ring with his fist clenched and somewhere near his chin.
A baseball player places a glove on the non-throwing hand and leaves the dominant hand free to throw the baseball once caught. The guitar player straps his stringed instrument over his shoulder then places one hand at one end of the strings and the other is used to pick the strings on the other end. A lazy person leans or folds their arms continuously. A person's body language and posture say a lot about that individual at that present moment. Based on where we are and what we are doing, it is wise to pay attention to facial gestures and body posture.
Posture is more than how we sit or stand; it is also what we wear on our bodies and our mental and spiritual attitudes. Posture is also defined as our adoption, attitude or position we take on a matter. Most of the people in our circle are followers whether they admit to it or not. A follower will hesitate to speak out against injustices, evil and wrongdoing. So, they take a mental posture of remaining neutral. Taking a neutral posture means that we will gravitate or roll to the side with the most weight. The heavier side, however, may not be the right side to be aligned with.
Let's talk about posture for a few minutes from a few perspectives. The incorrect sitting posture over time can damage a person's skeletal system. The cartilage between the vertebrae can get worn down, causing prolonged back and bodily pain. We are constantly told to sit up or stand straight to correct our posture. Office furniture makers have created several lines of equipment that are ergonomically correct to help prevent damage to the human body. This furniture is designed to make us sit or stand correctly at least until we alter the furniture.
Talking to a person with his or her hands folded suggests that they may be tense, or they don't really want to hear what we are talking about. A person holding their head to the side while listening to you suggests that what is being said is confusing. Although it does not apply to every case, Mehrabian's Communication Model states that only about 7% of a message is conveyed through words. The other 93% is conveyed through body language. Posture is a part of the body language we display when we communicate. Proper communication requires talking, listening, relaxing body language and a comfortable posture.
In Judges chapter six, the angel of the Lord told Gideon that he was going to be used to deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Based on the current situation, at the time, this message seemed to be impossible. Then to make matters even worse, the Lord told Gideon that he had too many people to fight against the Midianites, who already outnumbered them. The Lord God used a simple method to determine who would make the best soldiers. He examined their posture. In Judges 7:3, we found that 22,000 men took a mental posture of fear and departed. After this departure, Gideon was left with 10,000 men which he thought would remain to fight against the Midianites.
Then the Lord again said to Gideon, "You still have too many." The Lord once again examined the posture of the men for Gideon by the water. "So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place."
The 300 that lapped the water up with their hands were in a posture of alertness and could easily get into position to engage in battle if needed. Our posture, as it relates to ministry, is very important to the Lord. We should be ready mentally and physically to do work in the vineyard for the cause of Christianity.
As a worshiper of God, what position should your hands be in proximity to your body? I like what the psalmist said. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. Psalm 134:2.
In God We Trust
Sam Livingston is pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Manning.