Cling to what is good. Hold tightly to what is good. Embrace good. This is what we read at the end of Romans 12:9. It seems strange that it even needs to be said. Good is good. Why would we not want to cling to it? It’s what we want, right? It’s what we hope for in life, right? It is what we search for and dream of and pray about, right? Why does it need to even be said?
Before we read about embracing that which is good, we read that we should despise evil, hate evil, detest evil. This also should be a given. But here’s where we often find ourselves. We blur the lines. Rather than saying this is good and this is evil, we say this is not so bad. This is not so wrong. We slowly accept a little pinch of evil, a little dash of wrong. We let a little wickedness slip through with the thought that it’s not that much. We think we are in control. We justify our behavior. We think it won’t matter. Yet let us remember that a little bit can impact the greater whole (1 Corinthians 5:6, Galatians 5:9).
In today’s world, it’s hard to even see people embracing good. When you turn on the news, it’s nearly all not-so-good. Yet some people embrace news so much that we have 24 hour news stations on television. When you look at the most streamed shows on during prime time television, it is clear many people embrace that which is wicked. Shows that are wholesome find themselves on the cutting block. Why? People embrace that which is evil. We do. We do it without even realizing it. In Jeremiah 17:9 we read that the heart is deceitful above all all things. Even desperately sick. That’s where our heart wanders — to the desperately sick. Mark 7:21 says that out of the heart of man comes things like theft, murder, evil thoughts, sexual immorality, etc. That’s our heart — your heart, my heart.
This is why we read in Proverbs 4:23 that we should guard our hearts. Our hearts guide us. From it flows the springs of life, right? We need to be careful what we let in our hearts. Even a little bit of evil, a little taste of wrong can cause us issues. It’s important that we keep our focus fixed (Philippians 4:8). It’s important that we do all that we can to embrace everything that is good. If we are clinging so tightly to good, it leaves us less opportunity to grab hold to anything bad. As we continue to embrace good, we become more in tune with that which is good. We desire it and we begin to despise that which is evil. As we continue down this path, we take less opportunities to let things slip through. Even though we still have our sin nature, we are more apt to follow the Spirit’s guiding. Today, may you embrace that which is good and watch how God uses your faith in action to plant seeds
“Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another, and never play the role of an actor wearing a mask. Despise evil and embrace everything that is good and virtuous.” – Romans 12:9 [TPT]
Tania Gutekunst 