What are your holdfasts?

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my to do list, when a dear friend of mine presented this very powerful question. It put life back into proper perspective for me and my hope is that it will for you as well.

If you’re plate is full and you are finding it hard to be merry this season, please enjoy this guest blog from Lauri Hawley, a godly woman of wisdom who has a way of capturing the most unusual beauty in amazing pictures and relating them to deep spiritual life lessons. You can find her blogs here  

photo by Lauri Hawley

 

I found this little rock washed up on the beach a few weeks ago, with a strange growth attached. It almost looks like a coral, but we’re too far north to find that around here. I’ll venture to say that it’s seaweed. Whatever it is, I’m sure that when it got anchored to that rock, it never saw itself being washed ashore! The rock was protected somewhere on the ocean floor for quite a while to give this specimen time to grow. And then the storms came.Are you holding on to things of this world that seem super stable, reliable, and strong? What rocks are you using as a foundation? Will they remain firm through the storms of this life?Jesus told this parable, recorded in Luke 6:46-49:

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” (NLT)

Jesus gives three steps to building on a solid foundation.First, we must come to Him. Talk to Him, read His Word, ask Him for guidance and assurance, and learn from Him.Second, we must listen. Asking without listening for the answer is a waste of time! Staying in the Word and listening for His voice will teach us how to live, even when we don’t know what questions to ask.Third, we must do what He says. What does He say? Here are a few starters:

“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34)

“Love your enemies” and “Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44)

“Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16)

Take some time today to check your foundation. What are your holdfasts attached to? If it’s anything of this world, it will pass away. Your rock will be thrown around by the storms of this life, and you’ll find yourself out in the open and exposed.Instead, dig down to the solid foundation that is Jesus Christ, who is the Rock of our salvation! Come to Him, listen, and obey. Through faith in Him we are counted as righteous, and “the root of the righteous will never be moved” (Proverbs 12:3 ESV). 

 


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