When you hear the term “all-in” what does it mean to you? If you look up the term you will find that it means to be fully committed to a task or endeavor. It means you are prepared to give all your energy, resources, and attention toward something. If we examine ourselves according to this definition, there are very few things in life where we are truly “all-in.”
How do we determine if we are “all-in?”
First, there will be a commitment. When we commit to something, our level of commitment depends on how much we value the task or relationship. So many commit to something without thinking about what it will involve. When we become a Christian, we must fully commit to Christ in love and obedience. To fully commit we must die to ourselves. We must surrender our will to His will. Life is no longer about us. It’s about Him. Luke tells us in Luke 9:62, we are not to look back, or go back to the way we were. Plowing was something common in biblical times, and they would have understood, to plow, you must look straight ahead. Otherwise, your rows would be crooked and unable to plant. We are to be intent on moving forward, not regretting what we have left behind. We cannot have the world and Christ too. Jesus himself said we cannot have two masters.
I Corinthians 15:31 “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”
Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Second, if we are “all-in,” we must commit to God’s people. In Acts 2:42 the early church was committed to one another. They were setting an example for us. It is not the government’s place or society’s place to take care of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have fallen into the world’s philosophy of passing off the needs of others to someone else. Too many times our devotion to others, and to the things of God, goes as far as our comfort and convenience. Christ never called us to a life of comfort and convenience. He called us to serve. In Matthew 20:28 Jesus himself gives us a glimpse of His purpose. He came to minister; He demonstrated His service by giving His life for us. Jesus was God in the flesh, yet he became a servant to all.
Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Philippians 2:7 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”
Third, we are to be committed to telling and showing the world who Jesus is. We are to tell everyone we know. We are to support those who go where we cannot go. We are God’s way of reaching the world. Paul is a great example of this. Paul suffered much for his faith. He was beaten, left for dead, and imprisoned. He suffered much but never turned back. He was not ashamed of his faith and his Savior. It is one thing to say you are not ashamed but if those words are true others will notice. Your faith will be evidenced by all who know you.
Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
I Corinthians 3:9 “For we are laborer together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Fourth, we must be so committed that nothing can deter us from forwarding progress. We are in a race and we are to push beyond our comfort zone.
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
To keep the attitude of “all in,” we must not allow ourselves to focus on our own efforts. If we do, self-pity will set in when we get tired, or when people don’t respond the way we expect them to. The way to combat these feelings is to keep our focus on who we are seeking to please, Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
When we are “all-in,” we will be committed to God and seeking to obey Him in all we do. When we are “all-in,” we will be committed to God’s people. Their needs will spark a desire in our hearts and minds to meet those needs. When we “all-in,” we will seek to share Christ with everyone in our pathway. Our hearts will be burdened for those who are lost. When we are “all-in,” all we do will be done for Him. Our love for Him is enough to keep us on track. We will not feel we’ve been taken advantage of, nor feel our service is too much. All we do will be for Him and it doesn’t matter how others receive it. While they happen to get the benefit of our actions, all that matters is that we please Christ. When we are all in, we serve with a grateful heart, an eager spirit, and an unquenchable desire to serve our Savior. Examine yourself, are you all in?
