“๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐, ๐ผ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐น ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐.” Philippians 1:20 (TPT)
Clingy [Kling-ee] – holding, firm, fixed, inseparable, secure, set, tight.
Paul is a shinning example of grace filled redemption. A foe turned friend. A radical for Jesus, who was very eager to disrupt mindsets, and deconstruct fallacies about what it meant to be christian; not just by name, but actually living a Christ-centered life. In gloating about Paul, it would be negligent of me to ignore that this was a person who persecuted folks for this same Christ he now so desperately held on to. This to me serves as a comforting reminder that God is faithful to His word, and will never turn His back on a willing heart. His desire to welcome His children back into His fold trumps all past sins.
But I digress.
Paul was not one to sugarcoat. ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐, lets us know that life ain’t always gon’ be a bed of roses. It speaks to the possibility of trials and tribulations, and expresses that there will often be unexpected challenges. But the stunningly obvious revelation in this text is that Paul ascribes his hope to Christ, and is in effect saying something along the lines of, life is wild and (sometimes) riddled with thorny quirks that won’t always present packaged in a pretty red bow tie. Yet, ๐ผ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐น ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐. Basically saying, in the midst of. . . no matter how twisted and winding the turns are, even with the doors slammed in my face, and the gut wrenching no’s. In the face of a morbid doctors report, or a loss. While being persecuted, and hated; my hope, desire, expectation, yearning, ambition, aim, craving is Christ. As God’s beloved, we have the choice to think on things that are above, and the option to place our trust in Him because He never fails. Even when His answer is not packaged how we expect it to be.
I am one who makes the conscious effort to reflect, and this has shed light on a lot that I did wrong, even as a practicing christian. I could blame it on ignorance, which is in itself a killer of measurable progress. But more often than not, it was an informed choice. In my life, I have foolishly clung to transient things. Whether it was shape shifters guised as friends, boyfriends or colleagues, or the thrill of things that true to form, faded with time. I basically made people, and the things He created for my comfort, my god. It’s no wonder why I often found myself in a face plant.
That being said. . .
There is a lot of fear coursing through the veins of the world. We are constantly inundated with everything that is going wrong, which is unfortunately only going to get worse. We hear about wars and deaths, kidnappings and murders, accidents and natural disasters, and viruses in all shapes and forms. It’s a lot to digest, and much of it induces fear. ๐๐ฑ๐ธ๐ธ๐ผ๐ฎ to passionately hope, and cling (hold on, fix your eyes on) to Jesus. But also remember that this requires the intentional work of ๐ช๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ in Him aka spending time in His word or having a worship/praise jam session, or meeting with other Christians for bants and prayers. Bottom line, meet with God, and stay. Cling to Him (for your sustenance) like a child would a mother.
Happy monyaaaaaaaaaaaay!
xoxo
Mel.
WateredSeed 