Alignment
This week I started the process of braces. I went with the Invisalign route which has been a learning experience already. Essentially, the process is comprised of wearing sets of aligners for an extended time to straighten and correct my teeth.
I'm 5 days in and I'm realizing that this process is painful, uncomfortable, stretching my level of confidence, and a bit more involved than what I first thought.
The beautiful thing is that through this pain, discomfort, stretching, and involvement I'm experiencing correction and needless to say alignment.
The other morning I was walking my dogs, mouth in pain, and thinking about what other aligners we need in life. What are the things that may cause some pain or discomfort but also stretch us to true confidence? What are the statements I need to make to align myself with the truth? Who is the source of this truth? How involved in this alignment do I need to be?
As I've continued to think about aligners, I've recognized my need for alignment much more often. I've seen small things turn into anxious thoughts. I've noticed my ability to take statements and actions incredibly personal, and react from pain rather than respond from peace. I've built up cathedrals of lies to quench my desire of overcoming insecurity, but all it has led to has been false confidence and hiding behind styrofoam palaces. I've avoided, numbed, performed, blamed, pushed away, and controlled.
Yet, graciously and beautifully, an Alignment has been given that corrects every wrong, that pursues me when I run, that breathes truth when I exhale deception, that has broken down every wall and reconstructed a place to dwell within me.
Yes, you know where I'm going here, but hold on. We're about to get real.
This Alignment is Jesus. He has made a way for us to live in the freedom, hope, and truth of His Kingdom. He has shed blood, risen from our graves, and invited us to breathe in His Spirit. He has given us the opportunity for alignment.
But for some reason, people think that once we say, "Yes" to His invitation that it means everything is done. And, let me be clear here: IT IS FINISHED means IT IS FINISHED. He has paid the price for our sins. That debt is paid. We are justified before God and there is no work that we can do that will earn us righteousness.
What if I were to tell you that it is Jesus' job to pay for our sins and it's our job, by His grace and empowered by His Presence, to get rid of our sinful behaviors? I would argue that this a major theme of the Word and that Jesus begins His ministry by calling those listening to "repent" or change their minds and lives. Paul writes multiple times in the New Testament letters about the call for Christians to put off the old self and live in the new self by renewing their minds. In fact, the pivotal piece of Paul's writing that cements this theme is in Colossians 3:1-4 which states:
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
So, if it's Jesus' job to pay for our sin and our job to get rid of the mindsets and actions that are sinful, how do we go about it?
These are the aligners I'm proposing so that we might be fully involved in the somewhat painful, uncomfortable, and stretching process of being formed in the holiness of God.
Aligner #1: The Word
All too often we find ourselves out of alignment because we are full of words that are not true. These words can be tied to emotions. These words can be tied to perspectives. These words can be attached to our present experiences. But the final word is the Word.
In the Word of God, we find God-breathed truths that bring freedom, clarity, wisdom, revelation, and insight beyond our temporary understanding. I would also say that the Word is not given to us for us to grasp it all, but for us to be formed by it. The Word of God is not just another set of instructions or another manual for information. It is a collection of writings that leads us to be informed AND more importantly, transformed.
For this first aligner, we must be open to read, to soak, to receive, and to be formed by it. And the most vital piece to this all is that we must come to the Word with vulnerability to not be in relationship with the book, but the One whom the book refers to.
Aligner #2: The Presence
Most people will limit their experience, understanding, and invitation of God's presence to their preference. This means the Lord is only welcome on Sunday mornings for an hour, or in personal devotion time on the Bible app on in between checking Instagram, or in checking off whatever else is on the "spiritual life" list.
I can't be any more clear. God's Presence in our lives is what brings life to us. Without His breath, we are just dirt. Without His Presence, we are not present. Without Holy Spirit, there is no true life.
And this is not about emotionalism or charismatic influence. This is about the aligner of truth that is found in the One who leads us into all Truth (Holy Spirit, John 16:13). This is about recognizing that if we are constantly filling ourselves with more knowledge but missing His Presence, we are missing the point.
So, align yourself with His Presence. Read the Word. Pray. Slow down. Listen. Get outside. Posture yourself to experience and live in connection. Value being present over perfectionism and performance. Align yourself with His Presence.
Aligner #3: The Truth
I can't tell you how important speaking the truth is in aligning ourselves correctly. Lies flood our minds, hearts, emotions, and actions every day. We are constantly bombarded by deceit around every corner and ingesting an unhealthy amount of distortion through a plethora of sources.
When these myths become our foundation, we stand upon bad logic and dishonest feelings. But what happens when the truth becomes our light in the darkness, our tool to break down every barricade, and our shield to deflect every slanderous attack.
Speak the truth out loud. Write the truth all over. Center yourself in the reality of who God is, of who says you are, and what God has done, is doing, and will do. Another way of saying this is worship. Declare Scriptural truths. Remind yourself daily of the truth. Love the truth and speak the truth in love.
Rapid Fire Aligners:
Centering Prayer - Commit a time of 2-5 minutes to speak a short prayer such as "Jesus", "Holy Spirit Come", or "Abba, I Belong to You" and then listen in silence.
Worship: Sing praises to the worthy Lamb. Prophesy His promises in your life. Receive His song over you. Dance, paint, write, create, be with Jesus, and rest in His goodness.
Accountability: Get together with others who will hold you accountable to the truth of who God is and the purpose of your life. Accountability is more than calling out each other, it's about calling up each other and reminding one another of the ability we have by God's grace.
Therapy: This one has too long been taboo for Church folk. Meet with somebody who knows how to listen, ask really good questions, and promote healing in your life. It may cost something, but isn't your health worth it? Jesus died and rose again to answer that last question.
Play: Treat yourself has turned into another way of numbing and avoiding. But playing and doing things that give you space to think, create, feel, and work through stuff is exactly what our hearts need in alignment. Go for a run, work out, do something you enjoy doing. I guess we do need to be childlike to be in alignment with the Father.
This list could on but I think you're catching it by now. The point of these aligners is that we must find ways rooted in the Lord, His Word, and His people in which we can engage fully, and recognize what has shifted us from being in alignment with His Kingdom. The pains and discomforts of this are engaging with what has us out of whack. I propose that as we press into the pain, we will pass through it into peace.
And I don't know about you but I'd much rather engage with some pain, discomfort, and stretching for a moment to grow in the eternal gift of being aligned with truth, freedom, and holiness.
I've got about 8 months to go with the aligners for my teeth, but I've got a lifetime to go with aligners for my life. Anybody else want to join me? We might just find that when we give ourselves over to the process of alignment our confidence won't be in our smiles but our Savior. Here's to that adjustment and our positioning for the Lord's best in our lives. Amen.
