The other day I read a post on Google+ that really struck me. Greg Gordon of sermonindex.net wrote, "The deception will be so strong in the end times that only those who ruthless cling to the Lord and His promises will be safe." I assume that he meant "ruthlessly cling", and I thought that "ruthlessly clinging" is something I know a little about these days.
My wife and I are currently raising her grandnephew -- I think that's right; he's her sister's daughter's son -- who's six months old and really figuring out what his hands are for. The most important thing they seem to be for is "grabbing Grunkle (great-uncle = 'grunkle') Chris' hair, no matter where it might be found, but especially his beard and chest hair". I understand completely why every new mother cuts her hair short, because I can tell you that babies have no hesitation and no mercy when it comes to taking hold of a handful of fur.
Of course, he's not trying to hurt me by nearly pulling my face off; he's just hanging on to the big person who's holding him and taking care of him. At six months old, a baby pretty well knows who to look to for comfort and sustenance, and when he finds them he wants to make sure that that person doesn't get away. We often talk about people being "clingy" as if it were a bad thing -- and sometimes it is -- but for a baby it makes perfect sense.
As I said, young Gruntley -- that's right, we're Grunkle and Gruntley -- is merciless when it comes to holding on. The fact that I've grown a very effective handle on which to hold is just awesome as far as he's concerned, but even with my much-less-hairy wife he'll grab on like there's no tomorrow. He knows who he needs, and he holds on as tightly and closely as he can. If we somehow get away from him, it won't be his fault, because he's doing everything he can to stay close to us.
Doesn't that sound like the job description of a Christian? I mean, we know who provides for our needs and keeps us safe, right? We know whose grace is sufficient to handle whatever might arise. And let's face it, we're none of us any more than babies when it comes to loving and serving God. We're dependent upon him for everything. Doesn't it make sense to grab hold of him, without hesitation or mercy, and do everything in our power to keep him close?
I always cringe a little bit whenever someone calls me a "man of God" (hey, it happens!). I know that when I became a man -- at least in my own mind -- I took off and tried to distance myself as much as I could from my parents. When I was a child, though, I looked up to them; I wanted to be like them, and yes, I clung to them. I spent decades trying to make my own way as far from God as I could, but finally realized that the only way to be a "man of God" was to first commit to being a child of God. And the more I grow, the more I need to ruthlessly cling to him.
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