Jesus calls us to be sold out, all in, completely committed.  In Mark 8 He gives us three steps: deny self, take up our cross, follow Him.  This was much easier for the disciples as they had Jesus right there with them.  But it is fully possible for us today as well.

In the day to day of life it can be hard for us to be all in for Jesus.  We see the job, the family, the sports, and so on as things we ‘have’ to take care of.  In these responsibilities we have, is it still possible to have Him be our guide, our filter, our primary decision factor?  Yes it is.  Work can be accomplished for the glory of God and as our boss requires.  This is true in all areas where we must mesh our ‘responsibilities’ and our faith.  His light and love can shine through us in all we do.

In our normal day to day we can truly live for Jesus, seeking to deny our on way and to live His way.  He can be our #1 amongst all else in this life.  There will be times when life becomes bumpy and we will question and doubt – a sudden loss, an unexpected illness, an unforeseen life change.  Even in the midst of these crises, if we continue to allow Him to rule, we find that we not only rely on Him, but the He will carry us.  In these deep, dark moments in life we glimpse what all in really looks like.

So during this season of self-examination that we find ourselves in during Lent, may we allow ourselves to look closely at what ‘all in’ means for us.  May we honestly and sincerely assess what is required of ourselves to be fully committed followers of Jesus Christ.

Scripture reference: Mark 8: 34-38