Holding On

Holding On By Jamie Grace

Holding On.
Have you ever actually listened to the words of this song? It's more than just a nice, sweet "catchy" tune. It has a message bigger and more powerful than Jamie Grace probably anticipated.

All the signs of life...They’re all around me with every heartbeat...I feel so alive...I am joy and sadness, Peace and madness...

Ahh, the joy and peace that God brings to our lives. A pastor once told me 2 simple truths that, if we keep them straight, we'll have a better understanding of God and his will for our lives. The truth is, hate comes from fear, which leads to death. Love comes from faith, which leads to life. Satan is hate. God is love. Think about that for a moment. Satan tries to put anger, fear, resentment, jealousy, grief, pain, lust, pride, greed, and vanity into our lives. Continuing down a road filled with these idols will lead to death. God wants to "give us life to the fullest" (John 10:10). We love the one who has promised us eternal life. We hate the one who has come to "steal, kill, and destroy" (also, John 10:10). No matter what life throws at us, we put our faith in the one who brings life. It's so great knowing we have joy in sadness and peace in madness.

If only I can fight just a little longer
I know It’s gonna make me stronger

This part reminds me of James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of any kind. Because you know the testing of your faith develops perserverence. Perserverence must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". Perserverence. Just keep going. Continuing to press on even in hard times is never easy. There's going to be many times where you'll be tempted to give up and walk away from it all. But these times are beautiful! You don't move by standing still. You can't grow into the person God intends for you to be if you continue to stay where it's comfortable. God wants to mold you into his likeness. And literally transform you.

I just keep holding on to what I believe..Oh, I believe in you..Give me the strength to fight..And the heart to believe..When it’s hard to believe in you.

Oh man, this part really hits home for me. For a girl who struggles with wavering- believing in God but letting doubts and skepticism consume my mind- I can relate all to well. Sometimes, it's hard to believe in God. Either circumstances seem bigger than our reality, or doubt about who God is starts to get in the way. Sometimes, I get to the point where I question my faith to the core. "Is the Bible REALLY the word of God? Does he REALLY love me that much?" I know it in my heart, but I can't get my head to believe it as well. Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks like this at times.

Oh and these are the times when doubt’s tryin’ to creep in...And I need a reason that’s larger than life when hope seems hard to find
Jamie Grace understands. I cannot tell you how many times in life you're going to doubt and be tempted to throw it all away. Obviously, I hope you don't but it seems inevitable, doesn't it? What I learned I needed was patience. "Faith grows exceedingly" (2 Thessalonians 1:3). We are always going to grow in our faith, and that doesn't stop in the hard times. In fact, sometimes you grow the MOST during those times. Hard times and times that we aren't on our "God High" is when we really got to dig deep, press on, and have patience. We know that God has great things in store for us and "through faith and patience (we) inherit what has been promised". (Hebrews 6:12). With patience, faith will come.
Trust me, this is hard for me to grasp too. I've always wondered how do you actually SHOW God you trust and believe in him. It's one thing to say you do, but actually doing it is another this. Truth is, you show you have faith by your words and your actions. So when you continue to press on and say "God I trust you" while reading aloud Bible verses, you are showing you have faith.

Thank you, Jamie Grace, for creating a song so relavent to life. It's always comforting to know you're not alone in your thinking. If I can encourage you all with anything, it's to have patience, press on, and keep holding on.