Effects from past injuries tend to linger on throughout life. They often pop back up at the most inopportune times and are an unwelcome interruption to your already crazy journey. It’s incredible how when a muscle aches or your spinal column gets out of alignment just how much pain can be involved and how it leaves you feeling completely out of sorts. The pain slows you down. You can’t function at your best. It will also cloud your mind. When you are out of alignment, you cannot think about anything else except the gnawing discomfort and the desire to get it fixed!
In response to past injuries, I weekly receive treatment to strengthen, stretch and relax various muscles that have been affected. The trainers at TNT Myo-Mechanics in Cape Girardeau have been phenomenal. (You can watch my recorded testimony about TNT on my social media sites).
Now, you know what happens when your body gets out of alignment. You feel pain, are slowed down, become sluggish and you lose your peace of mind. What is true in the body is also true for your soul and spirit. When you emotionally or spiritually are out of alignment with God’s plan and purpose for your life, you will experience emotional and spiritual pain, apathy and confusion.
What do you do when your body is out of alignment? You go see a medical professional. Unfortunately for many, when they find themselves out of alignment emotionally or spiritually, they just try to press through it. For some, they simply don’t know where to go to find the help they need. Over the next few posts, we are going to be looking together at how when we put our faith in God that He can begin the realignment process in our lives.
Now, what does it mean to be realigned? The definition is: “The act of restoring to a previous position.”
So to realign means to be restored to a previous position of alignment. This brings us to a great question. When were you aligned with God’s purposes and plans? The answer may shock you. God aligned you for His purpose and plan before you were even born.
Look at this passage of Scripture.
Psalm 139: 13-16, For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.
Sit back and marinate on this for a moment – you are the prize of God’s creation. He knew you before you were ever born. He created you with a purpose. Those special talents you have, He gave them to you. Your personality, your passions, your aspirations, yep, He designed those, too. You were designed with purpose and you are unique. Your uniqueness is what sets you apart from others.
Everyone is gifted and wired differently and that is by design. The key for you is to understand that the happiest place you will ever be is when you are in alignment with how God designed you to fulfill His purposes and plans. God is the architect of diversity, yet in His diversity, there is one unified purpose for all of us.
Romans 8: 27-30, And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
Do you see it? If you love God and follow Him, He has called you, justified you and will work through your life to bring glory with the goal of this one purpose: that you be transformed into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is where many of us struggle. If you are like me, you wonder if you could ever be a good representative for Christ. You know how easy it is to get knocked out of emotional and spiritual alignment. Everyday is a battle to keep your thoughts positive and pure. Everyday is a battle against frustration, anger, doubt, fear and discouragement. Then you add to that the daily battle against temptations and the spiritual darkness in this world. So to consider the fact that God has predetermined for you to bear the image of His Son seems weighty. I get it.
However, here is the good news that you must remind yourself. God knew you before you were born. Your life is no accident. God believes in you and has called you to put your faith in Him to accomplish the task He has assigned to you. When you find yourself out of alignment, trust God that He can place you back in the right order.
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Pursuing Truth with Chris Vaught 