Holding Fast to What is Good
I read these words in I Thessalonians 5:21 the other day: “Hold fast to what is good…” It got me thinking about what I’m holding onto these days. What am I looking forward to? What am I anchoring myself in? I often turn to other things – people, food, circumstances – to help me feel safe. I don’t need to tell you those things are not going to ever make me feel safe.
The term “hold fast” is a Greek word which means to “hold, keep, stay, or detain.” The image is that of keeping something in front of you. You keep something from going away from you. Another way to translate it is to take a hold of a memory.
When Paul commanded the people to “hold fast” he meant to remember. They were worried about the future, whether the people who had died would really go to heaven and this new doctrine which Paul preached promised good things, but life was still hard. Paul says to them: “Hold fast.” Keep remembering. Stay the course. Hold on to the future with Christ.
The word for “good” in 1 Thess. 5:21 could also be translated better. Keep remembering what is better. God is better. The future is better. God’s promises are true and good and better. How do we do this?
Regular Bible reading and prayer. Reading the Bible daily, making it as routine as pouring your cup of coffee, will instill in you a tangible way to remember. Our minds so easily forget! I mean it is easy to run to God when things are tough. Life is hard, we pray. When we are at our wit’s end, we pray. What if we prayed before getting to the end? What if as soon as we wake up each morning, before the day has a chance to even turn sour we offer our prayers to God in worship and remembrance? Remembering His goodness and kindness first thing each morning gives us a firm standing to holding fast to what is good.
Tweet ThisIt is easy to keep looking ahead, waiting for the “next thing” to happen – good or bad. Instead, we can trust God to be good right now. Right in this moment He is good and we can hold onto that truth right now – in this moment!
If you struggle with how to get started, let me offer this new Bible Reading Kit – FOR YOU!
Can you imagine a life like this…..
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– Feel completely confident in God’s love for you and know there is no condemnation.
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– Create better habits that will lead you to a lasting, deeper relationship with God.
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Sarah E. Frazer is a writer and Bible study mentor at sarahefrazer.com. She is the wife of Jason and mother of five who all serve as full-time missionaries in Honduras. Her passion is to encourage women to fall in love with the Bible. Sarah is the author of several Bible study resources for women. She shares tools for deep-rooted Bible study at sarahefrazer.com. Follow her on Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/sarah_e_frazer) and join her free prayer challenge at sarahefrazer.com/prayer
