Upright On The Inside
“Sit up straight”, “stand up straight”, “You need to have good posture”. I'm sure you've heard one of those statements in your lifetime. There are numerous benefits to having good posture. Some being:
1. Reduces back and neck pain
2. Boosts energy and focus
3. Improves breathing and circulation
4. Enhances confidence
I have moments where I'll realise I'm slouched over and immediately zap up straight. Have you seen that they even sell posture correcting gear all over the internet?
As humans we are so focused on the physical. Even willing to shell out money to fix and change. In many cases this is justified. Physical health is important so why wouldn't we be? But have you ever pondered on the posture of your heart.
Heart posture? What's that I hear you ask? Well let's delve in…
There’s a story we hear time and time again that shows the beauty of coming before God with the right heart posture: The story of Hannah in 1 Samuel. I’ve been revisiting Bible stories I already know, and it’s mad how many little lessons and truths pop out each time; rereading them never feels wasted.
Onto the story…
We meet the lovely Hannah, her husband Elkanah, and his other wife, Penninah. Immediately, we feel empathy towards Hannah. We feel her pain. Hannah isn't able to have children, but her husband's other wife is. Not only that, but she provokes Hannah (1 Samuel 1:6). I can just imagine her taunting her.
As a woman myself who knows I may potentially never bear my own children, I almost feel her pain. I feel that 'less than' feeling. Probably sinking into comparison. Contemplating her worth, especially in the age she lived in. We are told in verse 7 that Penninah's taunting was so bad that Hannah "wept and did not eat.”
At this point, one can assume Hannah did not feel joy. Her heart was waxed sore. Possibly even depressed. Verse 10 tells us, "She was in bitterness of soul." Meaning she was heartbroken.
Now usually when I've heard this story told,the emphasis is placed upon making our requests known to God. I’m made to focus on Hannah praying, God answering the prayer and giving Hannah the baby. But I want to look at the posture of Hannah's heart.
You see there was nobody around her to give her the comfort she required. Even her husband failed. (1 Samuel 1:8). In despair, Hannah turned to God. She called him "Lord of Hosts". In a sermon by Jackie Hill Perry she pointed out that it is important to address God by the name we need Him to show up as in that moment. Clearly Hannah was fighting a battle and needed the Lord to show up to fight it for her. Hannah's heart posture was such that even in pain she did not forget her maker but bowed before Him. She prayed to the point the High Priest thought she was drunk. Hannah didn't just make a request but she humbly promised to even give back what she wanted of the Lord as a form of thanksgiving!
How does this relate to you and I?
Well I'll start with me. I could easily dwell on what I don't have. I could make an idol of the things I vastly desire. I can allow these things to leave me hopeless. There are many things I would love to change about myself internally but also external situations. Often times I actually sink into doom and gloom and forget every other aspect of life.
Heart posture comes in when I decide that despite the uncomfortableness, the loneliness, the outside voices. Despite the the things I can see, I will sit in it but know that God is in it with me and continue to praise and pray for the things that are unseen.
Take a moment to reflect: What is it right now that you desire that's leaving your soul cast down?
David himself said:
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; For I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 42:11
Now, I’m not saying we can’t ask God for things. Hannah made her request for a child know to God. Philippians 4:6 literally tells us to bring our requests to Him. But in the same verse, Paul says do it with thanksgiving, and that hits differently. When I pray, I sometimes catch myself reeling off demands like I’m chatting to a genie. Then I’m like, nah, hold up; I’m actually talking to Yahweh. That’s why I'm learning to reset, and give thanks instead.
3 little ways to check in with your heart :
1. Pause and Notice: Check in with your heart regularly. How are you reacting to the day’s challenges?
2. Name Your Feelings Honestly: Acknowledge emotions like frustration, jealousy, or sadness without shame.
3. Practice Gratitude in Real Time: Even in tough moments, list something you’re thankful for; it trains your heart to pivot.
So, maybe heart posture isn’t about having it all together or getting the answers we want right away. It’s about showing up with all our messy desires, doubts, and longings. It's about choosing to trust, to praise, and to give thanks anyway. As we head into the last quarter of the year, I’m making it my goal to practice this daily: to sit with God in the middle of what I can’t fix, knowing He’s with me and shaping my heart while I wait.