There’s nothing quite like holding a baby in my arms! There’s this sense of hope—of hope for the future—that pours into my soul when I look down into the eyes of my young children as I hold them tightly. When each of my babies were newborns, I loved to place my finger in their grasp and let them “hold me back” as I carried them close to my heart. At the time, it was just an involuntary reflex, but as they got older, they started choosing to hold on to me.
I was reminded of these moments a few months ago when my youngest daughter started grabbing onto me…with some intensity. She would grasp my skin in her clutches and hold on for dear life. It was pretty painful, if I’m being honest. It wasn’t quite the same as that innocent newborn-baby squeeze. This was a ferocious I’m-not-letting-you-go kind of death-grip.
One day when my husband came home from work, he looked at my scraped and scratched chest and knew right away what had happened. It was the baby. She just wouldn’t let go. He knew right away because she would do the same thing to him. Except she’d sink her hands into his beard and robustly cement her fingers to his facial hair. Ouch!
Pain turned into laughter one day when my husband went to set the baby down. She held onto his arm and stood with her feet anchored in his rib cage, like some kind of circus acrobat! She held on so tightly that my husband was able to let go and spin in a circle! I laughed so hard at the sight of my strong man and his little circus monkey. She was clinging on with such incredible strength that there was absolutely no letting go.
Then the Holy Spirit recalled to my mind a verse that He had been speaking over me for the past several weeks, or months even. “…cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)
I needed this reminder. There has been so much temptation to let go and abandon everything that is good—to leave an embrace of goodness to wrestle constantly with evil. In the past I’ve traded goodness too many times to complain, argue, or be afraid of what’s to come. But, God reminded me of that hope—the hope I have when I look into the eyes of a newborn child as I hold her in my arms. He reminded me, as I watched my daughter cling to my husband, that clinging to goodness is not only vital, but also necessary for hope and joy to be present.
I thought about the verse more in comparison to my relationships…
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NLT) “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NIV)
Hmm. Why have I always thought of “hate” as a bad word? “Hate what is evil.” God’s word is literally commanding me to hate—to hate what is wrong—to hate evil. It must be good to hate evil. But, it can’t be good to cling to the hatred of evil…I don’t want to get lost in hatred. What’s the purpose of this verse again? Oh, right, to love and be sincere. How do I do that when there’s so much evil and so much wrong with the world? Cling to what is good, Cheyenne.
Images of my daughter’s tight grip on my arm, on my chest, and to my clothes flooded my mind.
“Like that, God?”
“Yes, exactly like that.”
Hold on for dear life. Hold on for life. Hold on for love. Cling to what is good.
“…Hold on to what is good.Stay away from every kind of evil.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21b, 22 NLT)
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT)
Is this an endurance secret? Is it a survival tactic? Is it a way to thrive and be fully alive? It’s a vital skill to be able to cling on desperately and hold on tightly to every good thing, especially when I feel surrounded by evil. I want to scream my prayers, “Lord show me Your goodness!”
“Hold onto me.” He whispers back.
“Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice and cling to Him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4 NLT)
I will listen, Lord. I will hold onto You. I will cling to Your goodness.
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