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Oct 28, 2021 08:00am

Which Way Do You Lean?

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If you have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or otherwise there is a good chance you have seen the movie The Lorax or read the book. There is a very powerful quote in the movie from Dr. Seuss. It goes like this:

“The Lorax: Which way does a tree fall?

The Once-ler: Uh, down?

The Lorax: A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean.”

God very simply puts it this way in Proverbs 3: 5-8:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in you’re own eyes: fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

If you have weathered the storms of the past year and a half, there is a strong possibility you understand the magnitude of that verse from Proverbs. Not saying it has been easy or has been easy. Just saying that while the storms may be challenging to you, causing you to feel weary, maybe even defeated at times, you are still standing.

That tells me you have a vertical lean. You’re not leaning to the left or to the right, which means you are not guilty of relying on your own understanding and your own wisdom, at least not a hundred percent of the time.

That temptation to be “wise in your own eyes” and take control of your life is so very strong in the flesh, but let God continue to hold you in his strong, loving, and grace-filled hands.

Take some time today to ask yourself, “Which way am I leaning?” And if you realize your life is a little bit in shambles and overwhelming to the point of questioning whether you can really make it through these storms, simply lean into God, for ”it will be healing to your flesh and a refreshment to your bones.”