Slouching

One of the jobs I have for the summer involves lots of time sitting. Really I just sit all day and stuff envelopes or do other things. I never realized until I started at this job how taxing sitting all day can be. I feel fine for an hour or two, but then my back starts to hurt. I try to have good posture and to sit properly, but mid-way through the day that just seems impossible. I just want to slouch because I am sure that will make my back feel better.

The conversation in my head usually goes like this:

"Okay so it's been like 3 hours. My back hurts pretty bad. If I just slouch for like a second, though, I will feel so much better. That's what I should do. I mean it's probably not good for my back, but it will just be a second."


I think sin is a lot like that. Sometimes doing things the right way, the good way, is really taxing. We feel as though it is too hard to continue to live uprightly. So we say to ourselves, "I'll just slack off for a little bit. I mean it isn't good to slack off on being good, but it will just be for a little bit. It will make it all better."
This sort of attitude is very attractive, but will eventually lead to suffering, much like slouching. In both instances, you slip from the standard a little bit, but then it just becomes easier and easier to slip. Soon you are incapable of sitting up straight without immensely greater pain, or of living uprightly.

Proverbs 23:17-18 are a good reminder when we feel like spiritually slouching.

"Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off"

If we can persevere without slouching spiritually, we will be taken care of. Sinning and giving up on being morally upright isn't worth it. It isn't better, and it will lead to bad habits; physically slouching will lead to bad posture and back problems, but spiritually slouching will lead to things that are much worse. Let's try our hardest to keep from slouching, even when doing what's right is difficult.