Push and Pull

By: Scott Tolhurst

Isaac Newton was right. Movement is the consequence of outside forces - a push or a pull. So, bowling balls move by being pushed. Apples fall by gravity’s grip, pulled to the ground. Without this push or pull, everything and everyone would be stationary. We need a push or a pull to overcome inertia. Mr. Newton noted this as a physical law, but it is a dynamic for us emotionally, mentally and spiritually as well.

There are times in life when we are pulled by our desires, expectations, hopes and even our faith. We have a sense of what God wants us to do and it attracts us. We walk towards obedience or work to see a vision fulfilled. We sense a calling and are pulled towards it. These can be exciting times. We are energized by the hope of what could be. It’s a season of attraction. Our souls are being pulled.

There are other occasions when the power of push is dominant. Now we are moving away from something. We sense restlessness with an unsettled heart. There will be situations that don’t seem to fit or problems that are unsolvable. We may not have a dream or vision to move towards; we just know that we need to move. These times drain us. This is a season of frustration. Our souls are being pushed.

You have experienced both of these energies. You have been pulled towards or pushed away from certain situations. But note, we tend to attribute a pull or a push in different ways. The times of attraction seem positive because of the energy they create. We conclude God is in this. The times of frustration are seen as problems. We don’t see God in their midst. We don’t like the push because it drains. We hope for the pull to capture our hearts. But both are forces for movement and change. God can use both the push and the pull to get you where He wants you to be.

Sometimes the push comes first. We are uncomfortable and want to take some steps, but don’t have direction. So, we stifle the dis-ease we feel and try to make the best of things. If God is moving us forward, you can be sure that the discomfort will increase! We may have to step blindly into the future. Sometimes the pull comes first. Everything around us and in us is fine - but we still hear a call. We may ignore it for a time because change seems contradictory to our pleasant state. I assure you, if God is speaking, His Voice will get louder!

Whatever movement you have made in life, it has been because you have been pulled and pushed. They may not be in equal measure and this is not a tug of war between right or wrong. God is simply using both tension and attraction, positive and negative forces to move us along the right path. Every Pilgrim is glad that He did.