By Laura Lee Leathers
Years ago, my pastor often used the idiom “A Check-up from the Neck Up” in his sermon. Maybe he heard Zig Ziglar use it. He also used the phrase “stinkin’ thinkin’.” Both were calls to action to examine our spiritual heart and mind health.
If you are over 65, you probably have your 2026 Medicare physical on your calendar. Wisdom reminds us that prevention is the best medicine and that early detection can save a life. We also schedule dental and eye exams, chiropractic visits, and incorporate fitness and strength training.
As I thought about the idiom, I found myself asking, How often do I go to the Great Physician and request a spiritual examination? Would I learn that I might have the illness called “stiff-neckedness?”
The first mention of a “stiff-necked people” is found in Exodus 32:9, after the Israelites had created and worshipped a golden calf. But this isn’t the only time God calls His chosen people stiff-necked. The metaphor is used 18 times throughout the Bible.
The image means to be “stubborn; inflexibly obstinate, disobedient, and unwilling to be guided.”
In agriculture, it referenced a plow usually drawn by two oxen. Walking behind, the plowman needed one hand to guide the plow. With the other hand, he held an “ox-goad”, a light pole, shod with an iron spike. When he needed the oxen to turn or stay straight, he used the ox-goad on the animal’s neck. If the animal didn’t respond as required, it was deemed “stiff-necked.”
In other words, an attitude and unwillingness to be guided. Sorry, but you and I are no different. We all have our moments!
In his book “Aging is an Attitude,” Cecil Murphey begins by asking, “For you, what is the most positive thing you can say about getting older?”
Later in chapter two, he writes, “I chose to embrace aging. To embrace the aging process means not only to accept myself as I am, to look joyfully ahead, but the term also means to delight in the advantages of growing older.”
I believe that the last years of my life can be my best. It’s a matter of my attitude.
Yes, there will be challenges and fears to face, dependence on others, and death. There will be days when we must fight the “stinkin’ thinkin’” that wants to cloud our minds, giving us a stiff neck.
How do we avoid this illness, or what is the treatment? We saturate our minds with scripture, confess our sin, pray, sing hymns, fellowship with believers, and have a daily attitude of thanks-living.
It’s time to make an appointment before the days of January slip away. Set aside a day or two of prayer and fasting to seek the Lord, asking Him to examine your heart (Psalm 51:10). You might be surprised as to what is causing the stiffness in your neck.
“The most essential determinant of successful aging is our attitude.”
– Cecil Murphey
Laura Lee Leathers is a writer and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over 65, living on a farm. Her metropolis is the area of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitali-tea, and encourages, and helps others with the how-to’s of life. Visit LauraLeeLeathers.com.