Paul’s life was hardly an easy lot. From the very beginning of his journey with Jesus, he faced hardship, opposition, persecution, challenges. He was no stranger to how hard things can be for one who follows Jesus–and yet he seems to overflow with joy.

In his letter to the Philippians, that is clear. Although he is not where he’d like to be (after all, who wants to be in prison, forgotten and overlooked?!), he still writes to friends to share his joy with them and encourage them in joyful, Jesus-focused living. Amazing!

Part way through chapter two, after writing about living life in a Jesus-way and noting that such living is possible because God moves in the souls of Jesus followers to provide both the impetus and the empowerment for such living, Paul encourages his readers to live such a life without grumbling. In other words: Stop griping about the challenge of living out this life and embrace it as a gift from God and get on with it!

But notice what else he adds to the end of this encouragement:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life . . . (Philippians 2:14-16)

Paul’s so honest about life. He says that (even in his day) this world can sure be crooked and perverse. The first word is the root from which we get the English word “scoliosis” (referring to curvature of the spine). It means twisted, bent out of proper shape. The second word speaks of something that distorted resulting in an image or a path that is all wrong. What a description of how life, at times, appears: all bent out of shape and distorted so that life doesn’t make sense.

And how does Paul think the Philippians (and, for that matter, all friends of Jesus) are going to live lives that are holy and blameless in that kind of setting? He suggests that part of what enables us to live such “children of God” kind of lives is as we “hold fast the word of life.”

The “word of life” is one way that Paul speaks of the Gospel–the truth of what God has done and is doing in the world through the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus, the Son. The Gospel is God’s plan to rescue sinful people and make them into his own children. That is the word of life.

But Paul says that the followers of Jesus need to “hold fast” the word of life. What does that mean?It’s an interesting expression; the verb doesn’t appear often in New Testament.

A great picture that conveys the sense of the word is found in Acts 3:5. There the word is used to speak of what a lame man did as Peter and John passed by, thinking that he might receive something from them. He “latched onto” them; this was not casual glance. The man clung to PEter and John in anticipation, he held fast, he gave them his full and undivided attention. 

And Paul tells us that a significant part of how we survive and thrive in a world that distorted and twisted is by latching on to the Gospel message that is the real word of life.

When the going gets tough (and, really, it always is), then the followers of Jesus cling even more tenaciously, intentionally, and consciously to the message of truth, the word of life, the glorious good news of what God is doing in and through our friend and Savior, Jesus.

I know that when I feel the toughness of life, I do want to hold on to something. But often, I end up latching on to things that are not really going to help me. Maybe I tighten my grip on my possessions, thinking they will provide me security. Perhaps I latch on to power or reputation, hoping that my sense of self will weather the storm. It differs from trouble to trouble, but like all of us I look for something that will be dependable in the midst of a twisted and broken world.

And Paul’s words come back to me. The invitation to live out Jesus’ kind of life is attractive. And a significant way to give in to that kind of life and live well in the midst of a twisted and broken world is to get an unyielding grip on the truth of the Gospel.

So, what are you holding on to today?