HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER

“Holding things together is not an easy thing to do” are the words from a popular country song from the 1960s. It is about a man who is fighting to “hold things together” after his wife has left him, leaving him to struggle alone to raise their two kids.

We all face challenges in life and sometimes it seems that life is flying apart, and we struggle to find a way to “hold things together.” Well, only Jesus can hold things together and this is made very clear by a reality in modern science and the words of Paul in his letter to the Colossians.

The Mystery of Dark Matter

Paul’s description in Colossians of the glorious risen Christ gives an answer to a dilemma that is baffling modern science, particularly in astronomy. It is what astronomers and astrophysicists call “Dark Matter.” Dark Matter is an unseen force that is holding the universe together. It cannot be seen, and astronomers don’t know what it is, but they say it is keeping the universe from flying apart.

Our solar system, for example, is being held together by the gravitational force of the sun. Since the gravitational force of an object depends on its size, this means that our sun is the perfect size to keep the planets in orbit. If the sun were smaller, the planets would wander off aimlessly into space.

Furthermore, our solar system, along with billions of stars and other celestial bodies, are rotating around the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And, beyond that, our Milky Way galaxy is part of a cluster of galaxies that are all rotating around another center.

But here is the dilemma! According to astrophysicists and astronomers, there is too much empty space in our universe for this to be happening. There is not nearly enough matter or “stuff” to produce enough gravity to keep everything from flying apart. There is some mysterious force that they cannot see or explain that is holding everything together. So, they call it “Dark Matter.”

Paul’s Answer for the Mystery of Dark Matter

Paul, in his portrayal of the transcendent majesty and power of the Risen Christ, gives a clear answer to this dilemma. He says that Jesus is not only the Image of the Invisible God and the Cause and Agent of Creation, but he also says, He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together. (Colossians 1:17, LB). The writer of Hebrews concurs, saying that Christ is upholding all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

So, it is Jesus who is holding everything together. We must, however, distinguish between how He holds the universe together and how He will hold our life together. He holds the physical universe together by the direct action of His power on the heavenly bodies. Human beings, however, made in His image and likeness with free will, must voluntarily give Him that place of centrality in our lives.

He Will Hold Your Life Together

Just as the solar system is held together by the central position of the Sun, when we give the Son the place of centrality in our lives, we will find an invisible force, known as the Holy Spirit, working on our behalf and enabling us to “hold things together.”

In over 50 years of ministry and over 48 years of marriage, I have seen it happen again and again. Those times when it seemed that everything would fly apart, we have found that invisible force "holding things together." Yes! When we give Jesus that place of centrality in our lives, we will find the wisdom and power to “hold things together.”

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, revivalist, Bible teacher and ordained minister. This article was derived from his book, Discovering the Real Jesus, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.