Holding On...

When it comes to the important things in life what do you hold on to? I mean really, when you peel away everything, all the cliché’s and the nice sayings and get down to the nitty gritty what is it that you make a priority in your life? Maybe it’s your career, or your favorite hobby or sports team, maybe it’s even more than that… Maybe your favorite pet, or even your family? Is God the one you are holding on to? Is He your #1 priority?

I know that I struggle with this all the time. I say in my head and out loud that God is my #1 priority, but in reality He is often put on the top shelf of my life, sort of like a distant memory or toy I like to get out every once in a while. So when do the “words” become “faith actions?” Our relationship with God is sometimes very easy to neglect. Maybe it is easier to live life a little less like Christ and a little more like a selfish child. I mean really, who doesn’t like to have their cake and eat it too? The reality is that sometimes sin is pleasurable at the moment, why do you think it is so alluring to so many people that they sometimes are trapped in sin for decades… for whole lifetimes…

In James 3 God brings up the perspective of a person with selfish ambition. Let’s look at these words for a moment or two… “Selfish”… that is easy… or is it… it means to be “concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure” combine that with “Ambition” which means “a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work” So there are people out there who are working very hard at attaining personal profit, pleasures, dreams, desires, happiness, lust, sin… They are holding on with an iron fist to their selfish dreams… to their selfish desires… even now as I write this blog I am thinking, “am I writing because I want to help others and to explore life or am I writing for recognition for people to say to me ‘great blog Sam’” This reality scares me a little…

So yes, sometimes I’m scared that I am making the wrong moves in my life… maybe I am holding onto the things that enable my own sins and struggles. Yet I cannot let this fear rule my life… paralyzing me from going forward or even making healthy choices (even the small ones). The Bible says that we should fear the one who can destroy us eternally… we should have a righteous fear of God. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. So take the risk to let go of sins… even if you can only muster deciding not to sin once… make it the first step of many. Let the righteous fear of God give you wisdom and help during your times of need.

Holding onto the temporal things… without a clear and defined dependency and iron like grip on God will never really satisfy you. It might bring about temporary happiness and goodness… but the real joy found in Christ is only found in Him and through Him. This joy, the love and forgiveness, the peace, patience, self control, God’s kindness is the real “needs” that God promises to provide. Hold on to Christ, let go of everything else… the important God given life giving things that God promised like I mentioned above will be the result… maybe it won’t be apparent at the beginning… but have faith and trust in God…

Blessings, Hold onto God... He will never let you down in what you "really" need...

Sam