By Dean Collins
Depending on your age and stage of life, you will one day face the challenge of figuring out what to do with your parents’ or grandparents’ earthly possessions. Some wonderfully organized and determined seniors take care of or dispose of their possessions before they die. Most of the time, however, a son, daughter, or other loved one is left with that responsibility. Once the assignment is yours, you will eventually find yourself asking, “Why were they keeping this?” And there will likely be many things that leave you scratching your head and wondering.
Why do we cling to certain things or hold on to them when we never seem able to let them go? There are probably many reasons. Sometimes the answer is as simple as the fact that your loved one never got around to getting rid of them. But for many, the answer falls into one of two categories.
If your loved one lived through or near the time of the Great Depression, you may remember that this generation often carried significant concerns and profound memories of not having enough. As a result, they held on to things out of fear that another season of scarcity might come. Another reason may be that their possessions kept them emotionally connected to people they loved. To let go of a possession felt like letting go of the person. In some ways, we all do that.
In the closing verses of Romans 12, we find what may be one of the best summaries of how followers of Christ are called to live. Paul’s words reflect the profound yet practical teachings of Jesus. Verse 9 says:
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
That first short sentence alone is a wonderful description of what Jesus taught us to do: love one another. Not just with words, but genuinely. Genuine love involves more than warm feelings, although it is surprising how affection can grow as we genuinely love people. Genuine love actively seeks what is best for another person. It is unselfish and focused on meeting the needs of others.
Those who love genuinely will also abhor, or hate, the evil that works in our world. Love does not simply look the other way when evil causes harm. Those motivated by love actively seek to resist evil and recognize that following Jesus’ instructions to be salt and light in the world is one way we can help advance the kingdom of God as we await his return.
Paul also tells us to cling to, or hold fast to, what is good. Both Mark and Luke record the story of a young man who approached Jesus, wanting to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. When the man addressed Jesus as “good teacher,” Jesus responded, “No one is good except God alone.”
We know that none of us is entirely good. Jesus’ response points us toward God as the ultimate standard and source of goodness. Some biblical scholars also understand Jesus’ words as an invitation for the young man to consider what his description of Jesus as “good” really meant.
Ultimately, the only one who is perfectly good and worthy of our complete trust is God himself, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. As we cling to Jesus, his Spirit works to transform our hearts and minds so that we can live out the practical teachings Paul describes in this passage. And as we do, we become instruments through which God’s kingdom is displayed in the world around us.
Father, today we choose to cling to you! You are our rock, our strength, and our Redeemer. We renew our commitment to you today and ask that you work through us so that we might love genuinely, abhor evil, and hold fast to Jesus, who gave his all for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Romans 12:9–21; Mark 10:17–18 ESV
Photo by Pexels
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
