“You have a strong back,” said my doctor.
That was like 30 years ago. Don’t laugh.
“Ouch, my back hurts,” said I.
That was yesterday. OK, go ahead and laugh now.
I’m 56 years old at the writing of this blog and I’ve enjoyed good health my whole life, having evaded most common injuries. I’m most grateful for having minimal back pain, given how many people suffer from it. But I’m getting old, which has not merely been a mental realization but an imposed reality, as in my own body is informing me of this truth, daily!
Getting out of bed after days of hard physical labor can be downright comical. It’s sort of impressive how we recruit different parts of our body to orchestrate the turning, sitting upright, and then standing up portion of starting our days. The sorer my back, the more creative this exercise becomes, and the more I applaud my body’s ingenuity.
I fear soon I’ll be blaming that squeaking on the floor when it’s really my joints – LOL!
Maybe I should just slow down.
I think, sometimes, God agrees.
If we’re in pain, the first place to look is in the mirror. God created us with pain receptors for a reason – they are our alert system. I often think about the rare medical condition, CIPA (congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis), where a person cannot feel physical pain so they must be extremely careful they don’t injure themselves without even knowing about it. Give that some thought today (read My Aching Back, too) and then thank God for the pain in your life – without it, you could severely hurt yourself.
Pain is God’s way of saying, “Hey, what’s wrong here?”
In my case, it is self-inflicted (isn’t that the case most of the time, if we’re being honest?). I don’t have the stamina I once had. Sure, I’m still strong and durable for my age, but my limitations are significantly greater than they were even a decade ago.
I need to listen to the pain signals in my life.
The same goes for every aspect of life, my friend, whether physical or emotional. Pain always signals something is awry, so it’s worth checking into. You can’t do that, though, if you’re too busy trudging on! This is where rest comes in. It not only provides ample time for healing, but it also gives you the time to think about how to modify your life to avoid reinjury.
Listen, you’d be hard pressed to find a greater advocate than me for hard work (I truly believe in it, and it is certainly a Biblical command); however, one must ask themselves a simple question, “If you push yourself to the point of breaking, what good is that?”
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
– Ecclesiastes 3:1
Jesus, whose hard labor included death on a cross, had this to say to His disciples, who worked so hard to help advance His ministry.
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
– Mark 6:30-32
What if the disciples responded to Jesus, “But there’s so much work to do, so many people left to evangelize”? I suppose He would’ve responded, “Do you think I don’t know this, even as I say to take rest?”
Doh!
The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
– Proverbs 16:9
Always leave time for rest. It’s not only good for your body, but it’s good for your soul. Spoiler alert: you’re never going to “finish the job” while here on Earth. Let that sink in. Even Jesus said, “you always have the poor with you” (Mark 14:7), which implies continuous opportunity for good labor. So, even when your intentions are noble, there’s no excuse for ignoring the signs of looming injury.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
– Matthew 6:34
Let God direct your good labor. When it’s time to rest, then rest. It’s OK. You’ll be more effective in the long run if you stay healthy.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
– Isaiah 40:30-31
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
– Psalm 127:1-2
When my back hurts, I know that’s God saying, “Slow down, there’s always going to be work for you, Edward. I don’t need you working to the point of injury. In fact, I don’t really need you at all, so don’t be arrogant. Rest when you need to and trust that My plans will come to bear no matter what.”
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins