There are many things in life that we enjoy doing, some more than others. But what is it about certain activities that make them so desirable to us that we are willing to give up other things to do them? What is it that you want to do more than anything else? Are you ready to go all in? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What about us, is our heart in it? I am sure there is something in your life that you are passionate about. Something that will move you to sacrifice? Something that makes you willing to put everything aside and pursue? What is your “all in” endeavor?
For me, serving God falls into that category. God desires that our service to Him be all in. God desires that we would want to demonstrate His love for others more than anything we do in our lives. He tells us in his Word that unless our mind and our heart are in it we miss the relationship that will save us. A passage from God’s Word comes to mind:
Matthew 22:37-40; NLT; Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
But the challenge remains, to be all in you have to begin somewhere. We have to decide to follow Jesus. To do that we must remember the words of Jesus;
Mark 1:15; NLT; “The time promised by God has come at last!” (Jesus) announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
The writer of Romans adds…
Romans 10:8b-10,13, … that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved… “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Two components are necessary to know God; it must be in your heart and you must say it with your mouth. We say a lot of things with our mouths that we don’t believe in our heart. It is pretty easy to spot someone who is doing something that their heart isn’t in. As servants of God that should never be the case. In fact, if our heart isn’t in it we are not saved.
We receive a twofold blessing. The first part of that blessing is the fact that we are saved. The next part comes in how we treat others. We are given the opportunity to participate in their lives. Not just participate but the opportunity to help them find the abundant life that God offers. The writer explains;
Romans 12:9-18; NLT; Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
When we say it and believe in our heart then we are all in. If our heart isn’t in it not only do we lose but others lose also. We have a great responsibility to not only confess the name of our Lord but to believe it in our heart, then others will see it in our actions. Our lives are not the only ones who depend on it. Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!
Blessings,
Pastor Don