"But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
Philippians 3:12b (NIV)
You did not find Christ. He found you first. Paul presses on to take hold of what Christ already took hold of him for. The pursuit you feel toward God is always a response to his pursuit of you. Resurrection life does not begin with your reaching but with his.
The Greek word for took hold in Philippians 3:12 is katalambano. It means to seize, to grab with intention, to take firm possession of something. This is not the language of a gentle invitation but of a determined pursuit. God did not nudge you toward himself. He seized you with purpose.
John 15:16 removes any doubt about who initiated your relationship with God. Jesus tells his disciples plainly that they did not choose him but he chose them. The word appointed in that verse means placed with purpose and sent with a destination. You were not saved and left to guess what to do next.
We live as though our faith depends entirely on how hard we hold on. If we are honest, most of us fear we might lose our grip. But the grip that matters most in your life is not yours. Godseekers, we are a people held by a God who does not let go.
Ask yourself whose hand you think is doing most of the holding. Is your faith built on the strength of your commitment or the certainty of his? Striving to keep yourself in God's hands is not the same as trusting his grip. The peace resurrection life offers is rooted in what he secured, not what you maintain.
Godseekers, you were grabbed by God before you ever reached for him. He did not choose you because you were ready or worthy or figured out. He grabbed you with a purpose, and that purpose has not changed. Live today like someone who is held, because you are.
Prayer
Dear Lord, you are a God who seeks before you are sought and who holds before we ever reach. I praise you because you chose me not based on what I had to offer but based on who you are. Forgive me for the days I have lived as though my standing with you depends on my grip rather than yours. Teach me to rest in the truth that you took hold of me first, and that your hold does not fail. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- In what areas of your life are you striving to hold on to God rather than trusting that he is holding you, and what would it look like to release that striving today?
- If your children or the people you lead watched how you relate to God, would they see someone resting in his grip or someone exhausted by their own effort?
Step of Faith
Today, say this out loud to God: "You chose me. You grabbed me. You have not let go." Then identify one area where you have been straining in your own strength and ask him to take it. Stop performing and start resting.
