“Hold On. Guard It!”

In his letter to Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to hold on to and guard God’s teachings. In the game of basketball, it’s important to understand two terms: “hold on” and “guard.” You don’t want to turn the ball over, so you protect and hold on to the ball. You also want to keep the other team from scoring, so you guard your opponent. 

Now apply those two actions to the Bible. Hold on to the teachings of God’s Word. Sit down, read it, and internalize it. As Paul encouraged Timothy to grasp hold of God’s Word and to lever let go, he instructs us to do the same—to never let go of God’s life-changing Word! 

People will twist God’s Word to fit their lifestyles. Guard the truth! I watched an episode of “Gator Boys” and became captivated by their mission to relocate baby alligators to better environments. Walking barefoot in dark marshy territory and collecting baby gators didn’t seem too smart. The mother alligator hissed at the Gator Boys and showed her big teeth! Even though she gave birth to 30–40 baby gators at one time, she didn’t want one to leave. She was guarding them!

With the same intensity of a mother guarding her young, you as a competitor for Christ need to hold on to and guard the teachings of God!