Landing On Your Feet

Posted by Karen on Aug 5, 2012 | 0 comments

Although I grew up in a family that had dogs for pets, I have come to appreciate the impressive abilities that are unique to cats; most notably, being able to land on their feet at the end of a fall. Cats come equipped with a “righting reflex” — the ability to know up from down, innately rotating in mid air, reorienting the body so that the feet face downward.

In James 1:2-6, we discover how we humans can “right ourselves” whenever we “fall into” various trials and temptations:

— Maintain a right attitude: “Consider it pure joy…” (v. 2)

— Keep on trusting God: “…the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (v. 3)

— Go to God for wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God…” (v. 5)

— Realize that wisdom is what we request, but faith is how we request it: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…” (v. 6)

— Remember the reward of perseverance: “…that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (v. 4)

Although most of us would be inclined to ask God for strength or grace or deliverance, we are specifically instructed to ask for wisdom as we plow through the test. God wants us to mature in all things, to “grow up into Him (i.e. Christ)” (Eph. 4:15).

Let’s develop a “righting reflex” — knowing “up from down” even while falling; making immediate changes to “rotate” our attitude; positioning ourselves to hear clearly from heaven; and reorienting our lives to His so that we land “feet first”!