"I'm hangin' in there." A common phrase that we hear pretty much everyday. When someone asks how we are doing, this is one of those go-to phrases that we call upon. It's right up there with "pretty good" and "well let me tell you half of my life story even though you didn't ask for it..." More often than not, when we say "I'm hangin' in there" we don't think much about it, it is more of a reflex than a thoughtful response. Yet, there is something to this.
If you find yourself using this phrase often, then there is likely some sort of anxiety in your life that is pressing hard upon you. Something is weighing on your heart in a way that causes an instinctive reaction when someone asks you "How's it going?"
You sports fans out there will enjoy the origin of this phrase, but it teaches us something about what is going in our lives when we turn to this phrase (It's technically an idiom...my wife was an English major...).
Pitchers prefer batters to stand at an increased distance from the plate because this makes it easier to get them out with an outside pitch. In order to persuade the batter to stand further from the plate, pitchers will throw one or more pitchers very close to the batter's body hoping that the instinctive fear of being hit by a pitch will cause the batter to stand further from the plate on the next pitch. When the batter's teammates see this happening, they will shout encouragement to the batter telling him to "hang in there". In other words, don't move away from the plate and thereby give an advantage to the pitcher.
If you are "hanging" in there, then you are likely staring down a tough situation. You are facing a pitcher whom you know is about to bring the heat, and you may feel that you are on the verge of striking out. It can feel daunting as you stare down this situation, and it leaves you feeling vulnerable and isolated.
I love this analogy because it illustrates how much we need community as believers. Just at the point when we start to give into pressures or temptations, we need someone to shout "Hang in there" to give us the reassurance and confidence we need to carry on. In our culture today, it is commonplace for us to be very individualistic about our faith and its place in our lives. We say phrases like "Christ is my savior" and "He died for my sins." We also like to say that we don't need church or a community of faith of some sort, because I have my own spirituality and/or faith.
The truth is, we do need a community of believers to be a big part of our spiritual lives. We need others to shout encouragement and offer us support, especially in those times when we are "hanging in there." If we try to "hang in there" all by ourselves, then we will probably end up hanging in a different sort of way.
When addressing the church in Colossians regarding some scathing divisions, Paul provides them with these words:
"For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you...I want your hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that you might have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge...I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ."
-Colossians 2:1-5
Paul understood the connection between strong faith and a strong community of believers who were gathered together in order to love and encourage one another in faith. Our morale, that is our attitude, and the firmness of our faith depend to a certain extent on the faith community we surround ourselves with.
It is so important for us to remember that the faith and love Christ offers to us comes to us like lightbulbs: only in packs of 2 or more. Faith is not labeled for individual sale. What good is the light of your faith shining if it doesn't illuminate someone else's life?
So the next time you ask someone how they are, and they respond with "I'm hangin' there," I encourage you to dig a little deeper, in order that you might be that light of encouragement in the life of a brother or sister in Christ. May you remind them to "hang in there," and encourage them to step closer to home, which is faith of Jesus Christ.
"Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another all the more..."
- Hebrews 10:23-25
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