HANG ONTO YOUR HATS #SPRING IS HERE

Yes, this is the time of year spring winds blow fierce. We can expect fierce winds to buffet us in the spirit, too. Thank God for His peace that comes through the windstorms. All we have to do is ask and He gives. Hallelujah! Sally

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES        By Sally Bair

Holding On

The wind was so strong during an earlier blizzard—69 mph in Duluth—that some people had a hard time standing in it. Imagine being out in such a wind for a prolonged time: nothing to hold onto, straining forward against the wind or backward with it, concentrating intensely on keeping upright.

I recently read that people are born with a natural fear of falling. Perhaps you’ve seen an infant flailing his or her arms to keep steady. Perhaps you’ve used a cane or other device to keep yourself from falling on the ice, on a mountain, or on uneven terrain. Perhaps, like me, you’ve used walking poles for better balance and safety. For all of us, life can be a challenge to keep from falling.

When we face problems of any kind, we try to hold onto something—sometimes anything or anyone we can find. Some of the things we cling to aren’t good for us. Some pull us down faster than the wind. Others drag us along, keeping us from standing firm.

Our spiritual lives are affected by what or whom we cling to. When we face problems, we want support from something with substance and strength, for we will be using our most intense concentration to keep from falling. Our goal as followers of Christ should be to “Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  (1 Timothy 6:12)  The word fight, in Greek, means to agonize or intensely struggle over.

As Christ helps us fight our everyday problems, sins, and bad habits, He also helps us stand in the face of the enemies in this world, including the evil around us. He is faithful in holding us up. Many non-believers are taught that Christians use their faith in Christ as a crutch. If that is true, what better crutch could we find? 

The writer of Hebrews 10:23 says we should “…hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Let’s hold onto Christ, the Faithful One.

Lord, as we share our faith with others and love our enemies, help us not to back down but to persevere and hold on to the end. Thank You for the promised prize of eternal life and for Your unending provision, peace, and love in this life. In Jesus’ name, amen.