Posture in His Presence

Have you ever had someone correct your posture while sitting or standing? If this occurred while sitting, the correction may have gone something like this:

Back straight. Shoulders back. Hands folded. Knees bent at a right angle. Feet flat on the floor. 

Do you remember when you received the posture instruction when learning how to drive?

“Lean back in the seat slightly. Raise the seat so that your vision is about 8 cm above the steering wheel. Arms slightly bent toward the steering wheel. Hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel. Adjust all mirrors.”

Many activities that are enjoyed in life require or encourage a specific posture. From playing sports to playing instruments, singing, dancing, or even spending time on your laptop!  A significant number of careers depend on correct posture for productivity, efficiency, and accuracy.  There is even posture in the presence of the Lord.

To fully understand this word, I looked not only to a dictionary but also to a thesaurus. Here are a few synonyms for the noun and verb forms of the word posture:

position, pose, state, attitude, demeanor, disposition, mode

Luke records a simple, but powerful example of having a certain posture in the presence of Jesus. 

He writes this in chapter 10:38-42(NIV):

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Let’s look at the posture of both of these women. 

Martha is looking like a hot mess express. She is most likely feeling the pressure of giving good hospitality; both from the gender and cultural norms of that day. Jesus is in the room and he is speaking, but she doesn’t seem to be paying attention. In fact, Martha is even frustrated at her sister Mary for her lack of help. How many times have distractions impaired you to even realize His presence is in the room?

Mary is focused from the very beginning of her interaction with Jesus. Notice her position. Notice her stillness. Notice her silence. Mary had a posture that allowed her to receive from Jesus. What has been your posture in His presence lately?

I'll confess that my posture in His presence is often hurried because of the daily timeline that I keep. Sometimes I come to Jesus after reading a quick few verses followed by a speedy prayer that goes something like this: (All while juggling dishes and dirty laundry)

Jesus, I love you and all that you do for me. What I really need is _________, ____________, and ____________. Amen

( After this, I then proceed to sprint through the rest of the day chasing 4 children, a dog, and a husband!)

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that our prayers do not have to be perfectly crafted or eloquently said to be heard by our Heavenly Father.  Or that we have to spend hours and hours in our bibles.  But in this passage I believe that Jesus is teaching some key truths about the ideal posture in his presence.

First, busyness is a cultural norm, not a spiritual norm.  We are all guilty of thinking that being busy means being productive. Jesus clarifies this for us in verse 41-42 as he tells Martha that “...you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed–or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  The ESV says “....you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  So let’s quit doing all the THINGS and sit at the feet of the KING!

Second, Jesus has so much that he wants to give to us. Mary’s physical position of surrender and silence allowed her to receive from her Savior. 

So, despite what the calendar says, only one thing is necessary—and that’s Jesus. He is in the room and He is all that is needed!

One last note: 

Here is another way to position yourself to receive from the Lord—by sitting at the feet of Jesus with your spiritual sisters! 

The PDW Inspire Spring Tour(Illuminate 22) is coming to a location near you beginning this weekend.

Check out penndelwomen.org to find the best location to attend or host your own watch party at your church or home. 

We can’t wait to see what the Lord is going to do!