My Dear Friend,

Barnabas wisely exhorted the new converts at Antioch "that with purpose of heart" they should "cling unto the Lord" (Acts 11:23). Some versions render "cling" (Greek, prosmeno) differently.

For instance, "continue with" (NKJV), "remain faithful to" (ESV), "remain true to" (NAS), "remain solidly committed to" (GW), or "always obey the Lord with all their hearts" (NCV). One paraphrase says, "stay with it the rest of their lives" (MSG). All of these communicate excellently Barnabas' essential, inspired theme, but I still like "cling" best. Why?

Clinging is an action that expresses our very strongest desires. We cling - grasp and hold tightly - to what we greatly love, desperately need, or feel we simply can't live without.

For instance, a baby clings to its mother, knowing he (or she) needs her comforting touch, complete protection, and life-sustaining milk. People cling to their money, realizing it is the prime natural means of surviving in this unforgiving, financially controlled world in which we live and move and labor. We cling to our family members, since they are our relational "home base" in this hostile world filled with potentially contentious, adversarial, and dangerous relationships. We cling to our education, realizing a good education greatly increases our chances to obtain better employment, a higher material standard of living and, frankly, a more comfortable life.

Young people cling to their boyfriends or girlfriends, hoping they just may be "the one." We cling to our professions - legal, medical, business, educational, computer or Internet technologies, or other - realizing our reputation and livelihood depend on our success there. We hold to our avocations - golf, basketball, racquetball, pickleball, or tennis anyone? - because we enjoy them and the pleasurable endorphins, or natural highs, they cause our brains to release into our systems.

But Barnabas wasn't referring to clinging to any of these natural things. Nor will I. Above all these clingy things sits one, great, high, dominant "clingdom" in the born-again Christian's life: Christ-clinging! That is, holding fast to our Savior, so He may hold us fast, and keep sin and selfishness from getting a hold on us, as we walk through this spiritually peril-filled environment day after day.

Here are some ways we may become clinging Christians:

• Cling to Jesus through prayer - telling Him your heart's secret pains and perplexities as they arise and asking Him in childlike trust to help you work through them all (see Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

• Cling to Him through His Word, the Bible - knowing that holding God's written Word before your eyes, in patient, thoughtful, prayerful study, enables you to know and come closer to the Living Word who was in the beginning, who was, is, and will ever be God.

• Cling to Him through praise and worship - singing songs and hymns that laud His wondrously kind heart, faithful covenant love, and gracious, timely help moment by moment; also, expressing awe, audibly and / or demonstratively, over His truly awesome greatness.

• Cling to Him mentally - recalling His Word, speaking it to yourself, and pondering its application to your circumstances with childlike faith; and remembering His past faithfulness, deliverances, and blessings.

• Cling to Him by obedience - understanding that nothing pleases Him as much, or causes Him to cling more closely to you (or "draw near you") by manifesting His reassuring presence ... which was there all along though you didn't realize it.

• Cling to Him by handling adversities - Satan hopes troubles will separate you from Christ: deep, unforeseen offenses; alluring temptations; sudden arrows of doubt, unbelief, or panic; vexing people in your immediate circle of contacts; relentless adversaries; sudden losses; ruinous reproach; closed doors; stinging rejections; unexplainably strange providences; or your own sins and failures. These separators can't cling to you, and stop your clinging to Christ, if you bring them to God in prayer, trust Him, and simply do what His Word directs you to do in each matter.

These are all simple, spiritual, biblical, and effective - sure to keep you clinging. And the clinging Christian is a complete Christian - there are no gaps in his (or her) spiritual armor, no places where Satan can take him down and provoke him to abort his own high, spiritual, kingdom destiny in Christ.

So, my friend, may I pass along to you Barnabas' wise words to the Antioch Christians? "Cling" to Christ! With "purpose of heart," or intense love and awareness of your desperate need, openly acknowledging before Him and the whole world that you cannot live without Him (see John 15:5). And realize, every clinging Christian will be a challenged Christian.

Satan will challenge your commitment to the clinging life, hoping to break down your dependence on Christ, separate you, and destroy you - or, more specifically, your potential fruitfulness for Christ's kingdom. But your heavenly Father will permit Him to have at you for the opposite reasons: to strengthen your dependence on Him, His nourishing Word, and His reviving Spirit; to draw you nearer to Him as you overcome Satan's every attempt to draw you away; to make you stronger than ever - or "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephesians 6:10); and to make you more fruitful than you ever dreamed, to bless God's people and strengthen His kingdom.

And as each challenge comes to a successful end, you become a more complete Christian until, ultimately, after many successful challenges, you become a champion Christian. Thus, as you cling to Christ day by day, trial by trial, you move through these successive stages of spiritual growth - clinging, challenged, complete, champion!

So, when you can't "run and not be weary" alongside Christ (Isaiah 40:31), walk with Him. When you can't "walk and not faint," lean on Him. When you fall and can't walk steadily, crawl beside Him. And when you can't crawl another inch, cling to Him, like Jacob did at Peniel: "I will not let You go unless You bless me" (Genesis 32:26)! But never, no never, let Him go!

And in your lowest moment, gird the loins of your troubled soul, look up, and say with the psalmist, who lived the clinging life long ago, "I keep the Eternal at all times before me; with Him so close, I cannot fail" (Psalm 16:8, Moffatt).

Clinging,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES