SEARCHLIGHT
How are you going to keep it together when you face stress, hurt, failure, or sorrow?
SCRIPTURE
He [Jesus Christ] is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 NIV
SPOTLIGHT
What are the nuts and bolts of this matter called living? When it comes to your mental, emotional, and even physical make up, what holds you together? What keeps you sane and enthusiastic? What is the reason for you to breathe, function, enjoy, achieve and love? WHAT HOLDS YOU TOGETHER?
In today’s Scripture focus, Paul the Apostle wrote to the Colossian Christians to tell them the answer to the above questions. Colossians 1:17 declares that Jesus Christ is the cohesion of all creation. He existed before all things and is the unifying, preserving factor in creation. In other words, Jesus Christ made all things, controls all things, and holds all things together.
Perhaps you have heard a born-again Christian being described as a religious nut. One enthusiastic Christian responded to that comment this way, “If people want to call me a nut, that’s OK. But remember, I’m screwed on to a strong bolt!” When it comes to this matter called living, Jesus Christ is the strong bolt on which a Christian is fastened.
Another way of answering the question, “What holds you together?”, is by describing the “Jesus nut.” This is the slang term identifying the main rotor retaining nut that goes on the driveshaft of the helicopter, atop the rotor blades. It is the size of a fist and secures the helicopter’s massive rotor system to the mast. Snuggly tightened down and locked in place, the “Jesus nut” holds the whole thing together. It allows the helicopter to do what a helicopter does, that is, to fly and move about in many different situations. Without the “Jesus nut”, the helicopter blades would detach, leading to the death of all those aboard. Someone put it this way, the “Jesus nut” has “extreme importance: it highlights the life-or-death significance of even small components in aviation.”
For the Christian, Jesus Christ is the nut that keeps all the parts of life functioning well. He/she enjoys the soundness of mind because Jesus is at the center of life. A Christian has come to realize that personal skills, money, abilities to reason, move, talk and walk are not what keeps a person flying high in the midst of life’s storms. Jesus is the reason for living, and also the preserving power for balanced living. Life is not without heartache but life is purposeful and cohesive, in spite of the heartache, when Jesus is holding a person together.
What holds you together? Don’t count on your abilities or that of others. Do not expect your home to be your primary solace. It could burn down. Neither expect your financial stability to provide the quality of life you yearn for. Count on Jesus Christ. Never forget what Colossians 1:17 states, “He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.” [ Message] Always allow Jesus to hold you together!
SOMETHING TO DO
Reflect on how Jesus Christ has brought stability into your life since you became a Christian. Count the blessings Jesus has given you, even when you have gone through hard times.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, I want to thank you for preserving me in numerous ways. Thank you for giving me a sound mind and balanced emotions. Since I have made you the center of my life, You have kept me together like nothing else or no one else. I am so grateful to You, my Savior and Lord. AMEN