Are You Half In?


And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Luke 10:27

 I have been watching my kids play basketball for close to a decade.   That adds up to hundreds of games over the years.  I have seen coaches give pep talks. I have seen the team huddle together in the middle of the court and cheer.  Once in a while I have heard the coach sternly get after the team for not playing up to their potential.  All of these things are done with gusto in hopes of spurring the team to play their best and win the game.

 In all of my years of watching my kids play basketball, I have never heard a coach get all excited before a game and scream to the team, "Woooo hooo!  Are you ready to give it your half-hearted effort?  I want to see you give 50%!"    

On the contrary.  We hear things like, "Give it your all." or "Step it up man!" and "Come on you can do this -  110% in!"   I have even seen players benched for not being "all in" during a game.    Some times I've heard coaches yell, "Get your head in the game." when a player is not playing well.  Everyone knows you are to give your all and that the main goal is to win the game.

 We are a culture that is driven to win and we put a lot of time and energy into making sure we do.  So, why do we, as Christians, not do the same thing in our walk with Christ?  Why don't we put as much effort in for Christ as we do into sports and success in life?  Why don't we give Him our all?

 Too often Christ-followers waver in their commitment to Christ.  Many times it's not the big things but what we might call the "little" things - areas where we give in and let the world gain pieces of our heart.  Areas where we are pushing the line,  things that we allow in our life or activities that we participate in that chip away at our commitment to Christ.  It might even be something we have been holding on to for years that we, in a slightly rebellious way, just don't want to let go of even though we know we should.  Maybe it's something that we let creep into our life slowly because the world says it's OK.  Could be it's a schedule that is too full so we have no time for things of God. 

 When we look at these "little" areas, we tend to think it isn't affecting anything or anyone.  We convince ourselves that it's only the big sins that are bad.  We justify that we are mostly doing right so it's OK.  

Imagine with me.  It's almost the end of a game.  The score is tied with less than a minute left.  Your team is busting their backsides to win.  You really want to beat this opponent.  Suddenly, one of your team mates grabs the ball and passes it off to the other team so that they can shoot and make a basket.  

Wouldn't you look at them like they were crazy?  Why would they help the other team?  The team mate looks at you and says, "Well, I only helped them get two points."  You would think they got one too many elbows to the head!   It just doesn't make sense to help the other team.

 Well, friend, that is EXACTLY what we do when we are not "all in" for Christ.  You are not thriving as God intended and at the same time you are playing for the other team which is our enemy.   When you cave to sin, you are throwing a pass to the enemy so he can score.

Don't do it friend!  Don't be half in.  Be all in for God!  Take some time today to ask God where you are helping the enemy.  Ask Him to show you areas where you are not "all in" for Him, where you have given up ground in your life.  No more helping the enemy!  As the verse says, be steadfast, unmovable.  Always abounding in the work of the Lord.

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
II Thessalonians 1:11-12
 Then the Lord said,“Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote. Isaiah 29:13

  The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. I John 3:8-10   

  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58




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