Are We Really Going to Bet it All?

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.”   John 15:10

         In the world of Texas-Holdem Poker and other such card games, there is a term “all in”.  This term simply means that no matter what the cards reveal, the player is willing to bet all of their money (chips) that they will win. It is one of the most dangerous moves a player can decide to make because it comes with the greatest risk. However, if it pays off for the player and they win, it will yield a great reward.

         Being a Disciple of Christ is slightly different, in that, you are guaranteed to win.  However, even being a Disciple of Christ comes with a risk.  You are betting everything on Jesus and believe that He will keep His word.  You might be wondering, but if there is a guarantee, how can there be a risk? What is there to lose? The risk is that you may lose your “friends,” you may lose your job and you may even lose your life.  While those risks aren’t guaranteed, what is guaranteed is that you will lose who you were and become who Jesus wants you to be.

         It seems that modern day Christians (and this isn’t really that far off from biblical Christians) struggle with being “all in”.  We want to bet a chip here and there, unsure of whether or not the hand that we hold is going to pay off.  We want assurances that the life we are going to live will be easy.  We want to know that when things get tough, someone else will jump in and take care of it for us.   We want to play, but we aren’t all in.

        Maturity as a Christian comes from betting it all. Put all your chips on the table. All your eggs in His basket.  Devote your life to following Jesus’ example and don’t fold your hand at the first sign of difficulty.