Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion generally states that, if an object or body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed, unless it is acted upon by an external force. This is also referred to as the Law of Inertia.
Simply put, an object or body that is moving tends to keep moving as opposed to standing still, and an object or body that is still will tend to remain still. The only way to change either is for it to be acted upon by an external force.
From a theological perspective, the Ultimate External Force is God himself. Who among us, as believers, has not experienced God exerting his will upon our lives to either move us in a certain direction, or cause us to remain still (as he also sometimes commands?)
From a purely human viewpoint, we also are subject to this law or principle of inertia. And, also from a purely human viewpoint, YOU are often required to be that external force! How many times have you or I heard, or said the following?
“If I don’t get up and get started, I never will.”
“If I stop long enough to sit down, I won’t get back up.”
“The longer I sit here, the lazier I get.”
At this point, I will declare that I am NOT a physicist. And I am, without a doubt, oversimplifying this principal. I am also lacking in my understanding and application of the principal. With that said, I will still proceed.
Why do you suppose that our bodies and joints are stiff in the morning after a night of stillness? I’m sure there are medical reasons, but it seems to me that the principle or law of inertia plays a part. Once we start moving, it becomes easier. And when we are busy, we often keep going without realizing how tired we are, until we finally stop to rest.
And, our minds and our bodies don’t seem to always be in sync. For example, our minds may tell us to take a break, whether one is justified or not. Of course, we need breaks. Of course, we need rest. Of course, we need vacations. The question is “when”. On the other hand, we may try to convince ourselves that we need to be moving and doing, when we might truly need to be at rest. These minds of ours are tricky, and often untrustworthy. There’s a biblical reason for that, but we’ll leave that discussion to another day.
Why am I writing about Newton and inertia? Here’s why. The year 2020, and so far, 2021 have been years that scream at us to stop in our tracks. At least it sometimes seems that way to me. The Covid-19 pandemic has limited our movement to a significant degree. It has kept us from traveling, from visiting, and even from our places of worship. If our goals and ambitions require mobility, it may have hindered us from pursuing those as well. Without a doubt, it has resulted in the loss of loved ones, opportunities, and for many, their jobs. Add to this, we’ve just gone through a tumultuous election and change in the philosophy of government that is a full 180-degree turn. Regardless of your position on the political spectrum, most would agree that we have seen and are seeing things in our country that most of us never thought we’d see.
All of these are external forces that can cause us to want to slow down, or stop entirely. They weigh on us mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially. They can drain us of our energy, our interest and our motivation. In other words, they scream at us to “give up” and to wait for better days.
But here’s the problem. Who knows when those better days will come? I don’t. The politicians don’t. No one on this planet does. Period. So, if we keep waiting for things to get better, we’ll give up a good portion of our time, and even our lives sitting idly while life passes us by. Based on the principal of inertia, if we keep waiting for an external object or event to move us, we may never move. So, what can we do? Simply put, we have to speak truth to ourselves and force our own will upon ourselves to move forward and to do those things we know to do.
I know this sounds like one of those rah-rah motivational speeches and maybe it is. But the truth of the matter is that we can’t stop. We may have to slow down, we may have to postpone, we may have to revise our methods and our timelines. But we cannot stop. If we do, we are subjecting ourselves to that aspect of the law of inertia which says we may not start again on our own. So, if you’ve felt the urge to stop our give up, consider the following alternatives.
First, don’t stop planning. Keep those goals, ambitions and dreams fresh by revisiting them often. Spend time in prayer and keep the thought process active. Refine and revise. Just don’t stop.
Do all you can. Recognize the legitimate limitations and work around them. Don’t make them bigger than they are, or bigger than you are. If a baby step is all that is possible, then, by all means, take a baby step.
Re-evaluate your circumstances often. Be aware and alert of what is going on around you. Things change every day. Don’t let the routine become the norm. Thankfully, it appears that the impact of Covid-19 is waning. But where it remains, be aware of it. Take precautions? Yes. Panic? No! Give up? Of course not.
If I have learned anything from this pandemic, it is that we may rely too much on the mindset and opinions of others. They become an external force that stops our motion. Our minds tend to accept as fact that which is only rumor or speculation. It’s just easier for someone else to tell us what to do and to follow willingly, and often blindly.
That’s not to say that we are not to be good citizens and obey our leaders. We should. And we should not obey or disobey every time that leadership conflicts with our political views or opinions. We must use wisdom and discretion in all matters. But we should never become blind to the fact that much of how we view our circumstances and how we react is up to us.
We must pursue peaceful and normal lives, but we must keep our dreams and our callings ever before us. We must seek to work in some capacity and to provide for ourselves whenever possible. We must seek to interact with others as we are created to. And this last one is critical. We must seek to exercise our faith and our worship with as much normalcy as possible, and with a degree of urgency. In other words, we must seek to be in motion when we should be, and be at rest when it is necessary (and it often is).
My desire here is to encourage. Some have physical or other limitations beyond your control. I pray that God will bless and strengthen you. Some are still in locations or situations where movement and pursuit of your dreams and goals is limited by your circumstances. I pray with you that this will pass. Some are striving to return to normalcy and renew your forward movement, but are finding it incredibly difficult. I pray with you for strength and determination.
The challenges are real. The struggle is often daunting. The limitations are both real and imagined. But we do have choices. Yes. Are they easy? Not often. Are they limited? Sometimes. But we must make them. They are not for others to make for us. My prayer is that you will have sufficient choices, that you will recognize those choices, and that you will decide correctly. My prayer for you is that you will keep moving and that your choices, along with this law of inertia, will take you everywhere you need to go.
It’s good to be back. See you in two weeks.
Be blessed.
I wish this could be read into every household in America.
Thank you! As a newly retired reader, I needed that.