Read Corinthians 15.1-4 as a Family

My brother and I loved to get our little dog going. When he was really excited about a stick—yes, a stick—he would hang onto it for dear life. Then we'd test his commitment. My brother and I would pick up the stick, dog attached, and lift him into the air. He was a circus act, hanging by his teeth from a stick. Sometimes we would tire of the stick before our dog would, and let it/him go. Both would drop to the ground, and the dog would run away with it in his mouth, victorious. For a stick.

Paul strongly urges us to hang on for dear life—stand firm—to the Good News of Jesus. And what is it about Jesus that's such Good News? He suffered at the hands of wicked men, but not from weakness. He died, but not in vain. He was buried, but could not be contained by the grave. And by the infinite power of Almighty God, Jesus was raised from the dead.

Hang on to this, says Paul. Don't let go of it. Hang by your teeth when someone tries to take it away. It is that essential. And life in this world is that difficult. People will try to wrestle us away from our faith. Circumstances will challenge it. Emotions will ebb and flow. Hang on.

You'll be glad to know that this is where the metaphor ends. Unlike our dog, you and I aren't hanging on by our own strength and grit. Life in Christ is not a battle of strength, or wits, or a contest to see who can outlast the enemy. He fills us with His Spirit, giving us the power to hang on. He puts people in our lives to encourage us, to shoulder our burdens with us. Best of all, he loves us. All-powerful God chooses to demonstrate his mighty might by tenderly sacrificing what He loved most—His only Son—so that we may live.

- Carol Kenyon