At Hope Church, where I pastor, we just finished a six week series called Not A Fan which was based of the book by the same name. I know in my LIFEgroup, we had great conversations around what it means to follow Jesus- to deny ourselves, carry our cross daily, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). Ultimately, we talked about the need to submit every second of every day to Jesus- that God’s will would be done in our lives and not our own.

In preparing for this Sunday’s message- I’m preaching from 1 Timothy 6:17-19. In the passage, Paul writes:

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

What struck me in the passage is the phrase “take hold of the life that is truly life.” It’s actually the second time in the chapter that Paul encourages someone to “take hold of” eternal life. In the language that Paul chooses in the text- the phrase “take hold of” is an ongoing event rather than a one time deal. In other words, we are to actively take hold of the life God has given us- both this life and the life to come- each day.

There are many in the church (and outside of it, too!) who accepted Jesus as their Savior, or confessed they believe in Jesus as a one time event. The said it, got the fire insurance, and can go on with the rest of their lives. But being a disciple, a follower of Jesus is ongoing commitment. We work each day to take hold of the life that God has given us. Certainly, that life that is truly life is a free gift from God- we have to get out of our own way and cling to Jesus who is our Savior and Lord.

What areas of your life is God working on you to “take hold of life that is truly life?