Just a Thought: Everyone gives themselves to something. What should a believer give themselves to? Paul tells us in Rom 6:13, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” Maybe you have heard the expression, “They’re all in!” This statement intends to deliver the message that a person is totally committed to something or someone. Or “They have thrown themselves into that!” Again, the message is the person has completely given themselves wholeheartedly to something. When it comes to our service, we should be “all in.” Paul says when it comes to living the Christian life and living for (serving) the Lord, we should really give our whole selves to it. Our bodies were once given to sin, selfishness and greed. Once upon a time the only one or thing we were totally committed to was us. Whatever was best for number one. Perhaps that led us to less than honest schemes. Maybe there were wrong motives acted upon. Maybe we didn’t treat people right or value them. Whatever “was” should not “be” anymore in the believer. Jesus changes people! Matthew never got over what Jesus did for him. He calls himself the tax collector as a constant reminder of who he was before he met Jesus. Zacchaeus was so changed by Jesus when he repented of his sins, he made restitution for his wrongdoing. He gave half of his goods to the poor and restored fourfold those whom he had cheated through over-collection of taxes. Example after example could be given of men and women whose lives were changed by Jesus from being all in self-servers to all in servants of God. In John four, Jesus met a woman at a well who had clearly sought to serve herself having had five husbands and the man she was living with when she met Jesus was not her husband. But when she met Jesus, she stopped using men and instead brought them to Jesus! Everyone gives themselves to something. Paul says believers ought to give themselves wholly to service of the Lord and righteousness. How has your encounter changed you? What do you give yourself to? Do the people who know you best say, “They are really all in or They have really thrown themselves into” living for and serving the Lord? I pray that is true of you. I pray that Jesus has so changed your life it has caused you to be “all in” with Jesus and today you have given Him your all!
