hold fast to what is good

Hang on to What is Good

Posted on by Betsy

How many of you meticulously follow the directions of recipes? I do on the odd occasions when I bake, but when I am preparing a meal, I have more of a “Oh, I’ll just wing it” attitude. I don’t bother with measuring things, but rather go by trial and error. My son-in-law asked me for my coleslaw recipe last week and I really struggled to guess the measurements and ratios of apple cider vinegar, monk fruit, Beau Monde, salt, pepper, and mayo. I hope I guessed right, and he wasn’t disappointed when he made it. (By the way, Beau Monde is my secret weapon. It is a Spice Islands product and hard to find. You can thank me later.)

We finish our look at 1 Thessalonians 4 today, and it doesn’t disappoint. It almost reads like a recipe at the end, where Paul is listing the ingredients for a harmonious and hopeful community. Put all these things together, he says, and you will truly have a “beautiful world.”

Final instructions and blessing

1 Thessalonians 4 (Common English Bible)

12 Brothers and sisters, we ask you to respect those who are working with you, leading you, and instructing you. 13 Think of them highly with love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are disorderly. Comfort the discouraged. Help the weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else. 16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray continually. 18 Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t suppress the Spirit. 20 Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages, 21 but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.23 Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming. 24 The one who is calling you is faithful and will do this.

Taking this last section and boiling it down to a list of ingredients, Paul is clear about his expectations of their behavior:

*Respect each other.

*Live in peace.

*Warn the disorderly.

*Comfort the discouraged.

*Help the weak.

*Be patient.

*Rejoice, pray, and give thanks in everything.

*Don’t ignore the Spirit.

*Avoid evil.

*Hang on to what is good.

This last thing is what I suggest to my church members when they are entering a time of troubled waters. Hang on to what is good. And what is good is knowing that you are not alone in this life or in the next. The promise and hope of the resurrection guarantees that the end of life here is just the beginning of life there, where we will all be reunited.

And that, my friends, is good.

Final greeting

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27 By the Lord’s authority, I order all of you to have this letter read aloud to all the brothers and sisters. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Amen.

It’s All Good by Kathy Schumacher

Hold Fast

Posted on by Betsy

Do you have a personal mantra? Is there a phrase or saying that embodies your philosophy, attitude, or belief in a succinct way? The champion boxer Muhammad Ali was famous for “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” You can’t walk past a Penn Stater without someone yelling, “WE ARE!” Yoda teaches us “Do or do not….there is no try.” When my daughter was battling cancer, her mantra was “Go big or go home.” She went big.

The Apostle Paul was a mantra-maker. Almost everything he wrote could be captured on a bumper sticker or emblazoned on a t-shirt. A mantra is something that provides you with words you can live by, so if you’re looking for a new one, choose something from Paul.

Rejoice always!

Pray without ceasing.

Give thanks in all circumstances!

Hold fast to what is good.

Take a look at his letter to the Thessalonians and see what I mean:

1 Thessalonians 5 (English Standard Version)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies,21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

As we say on my side of the pew, that will preach! Of these few examples (and his letters are full of them), which would you choose for a personal mantra?

I have always loved Romans 8:28, which says that God can use ALL things for the good of those who love him and are called to his purpose. But for now, I am choosing verse 21b: Hold fast to what is good.

In this period of isolation, in this unsettled Christmas season that finds us grappling with the fear and grief that the virus has brought to all of us, I am choosing to hold fast to what is good.

Because in the end, it’s all good.

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

I pray you will hold fast, too.

Hold Fast by Wende Pritchard