Hold On!

"Look Ma, no hands!" shouts the child excitedly as he has mastered his bicycle to the point of balancing without holding on to the handle bars. That is fine until a rock or pothole is hit. It's not so exciting (except for the mother who runs to the aid of her child) when body meets with pavement or gravel. (Voice of experience here. How about you?)

Life is that way. We think we are moving along smoothly -- think we have it made -- then we hit the bumps and dips and find we should have been holding on with a FIRMER GRIP TO THE RIGHT THINGS.

Paul seems to have had a good hold on life. He had a remarkable faith as well as a strong zeal for his ministry. Oh, to be like Paul. What spiritual stature he seems to have possessed. But he still knew he needed to grow. He realized he had not yet "arrived" spiritually. Therefore he wrote. . .

"(12) Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I PRESS ON TO MAKE IT MY OWN, because CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME HIS OWN. (13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 3:12-14 ESV)

The New King James Version reads. . . " I press on, that I MAY LAY HOLD OF THAT FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS HAS ALSO LAID HOLD OF ME."

What a great picture to think of taking hold of that for which Christ has taken hold of us. This ought to be our goal. If we are gripping what our Lord is gripping, what greater encouragement of strength and progress can we have, especially through life's rough spots? As Christians, Jesus has taken hold of us for our salvation and we are to remain holding on too. Holding on with Christ, we will continue to be drawn onward and upward in spirituality.

Have a great day HOLDING ON WITH JESUS!
Carl

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[This focus was originally sent 12/20/1998 (edited some with passage changed to ESV)]

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