Clingy

by Kathy Lay

This Week's Verse: Deuteronomy 13:4, “Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.”(NLT)

Devotion:
Cleave, adhere, stick. In a word? Cling.

We usually perceive "clingy" as something negative, right? I know I hate it when my clothes are clingy; I tend to want to distance myself when people are too clingy; and I've even scolded our dog when she follows not more than six inches behind me when she's uneasy. Ugh! It kinda gets on my nerves, this clingy business.

It's frustrating, isn't it? You want to be there, and honestly, as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends, and women in general--you know, the "nurturers"--we feel the enormous expectation to meet everyone's needs. Then if we fall short we feel guilty because it's just not humanly possible to be everything for everybody. Or sometimes even a few somebodies.

But you know what I find liberating? We were never designed to be! There is only One who can be everything to everybody and this week's verse is clear about Who is truly cling-worthy.

Are we to work faithfully on His behalf? Absolutely. Reach out to help? Of course. Are we to carry others' burdens? Without question.

But we also have to recognize our limitations and maybe even remind others--the cling-ons--that anytime they seek fulfillment solely from mere humans, they'll come up unsatisfied. People aren't perfect. But thank God, He is.

I once heard a quote that said something like, "If I was a perfect mom, my kids wouldn't need God." Pithy, yes, but there's a kernal of truth there. And you could substitute relationships within the sentence: If I was a perfect friend, my friend wouldn't need God. If I was a perfect wife, my husband wouldn't need God. Sure, they'd still need Him, but it's less likely they'd see their need for Him if their needs were met with a "perfect" friend or wife! Why cling when life is grand?

Please understand, the above is not a cop-out of our Christian duty to love one another well. In fact, it increases our own need to cling. When that guilt at falling short kicks in, or emptiness or loneliness or numbness or simply a desire for change, we are in turn propelled to someone for strength, encouragement, or answers. It's definitely okay to reach out to those you love and respect. But be sure above all else you're reaching out to grab hold of God. He invites you to cling to Him. He desires it.

And when you cling, when you truly hold on tightly with both hands, following Him closely, and talking constantly to Him, everything else fades.

Feeling a little clingy?

Father God, thank you that you not only allow us to cling to You, but that you invite it--even command it! Help us to shift any excessive clinginess to people whole-heartedly to You. We want to cleave and adhere to You. In Jesus' Name.

Application:
Do you see yourself as a clingy person? How do you react when someone has been clingy with you? Praise God for being the only perfect One to cling to.

Power Verses:
Psalm 63:8, "My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."(NIV)
Romans 12:9, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."(NIV)
1 Timothy 1:19, "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked."(NLT)