All-In!

We make a lot of choices in life.  I’ve made my share of stinkers!

“Choice” is a very big word these days.  Walk into the car dealership – you’ve got choices; model, style, color, lease or buy, and that’s even before you say hello to one of the smiling salesmen.  (Definitely smiling – have you seen the prices on those toys?)

The aisles in Wal-Mart are frightening; just having to make a choice between the different kinds of peanut butter can make your brain’s hard drive crash!

Then, of course, there are the more weighty issues:

·        Abortion – choice or not

·        Sexual identity – LGBTQ or straight (if you have trouble figuring out what LGBTQ stands for, you’ve got another choice….go ask your grandkid)

·        House, vocation, how many kids (if at all), and then what breed of pet you’ll continually bring to the vet and spend your kids’ inheritance on every other week.

·        …and don’t get me started on which brand of church you’ll attend (if at all).

All-in

I played a little “low-stakes poker” when I was in the Army.  It was something to do when you’re 10,000 miles away and bored to tears.  I never knew the phrase all-in back then, but the concept worked for me every time I joined the other soldiers in the game.  My “buy-in” limit was $1.00…raises were 2cents maximum.  When my penny-pile got down to less than a dime’s worth (which, for me, usually only took a half-hour), it was time to go all-in.  That’s right….all 9 cents riding on one last card!  The excitement was SuperBowl-ish!  Most times my bold move simply meant I’d get to bed earlier than the rest.  

How does losing the penny-pile “work” for you?

Playing cards in a war zone was a matter of passing time until the bad stuff is over, and they call your name to get on the plane headed home.  On some level I knew losing the penny-pile was one step closer to Elizabeth and my family.  My subconscious “choice” was to lose that pile of pennies so I could get back home.

So…which choice comes first?  Don’t just sit there….CHOOSE!

Really!  I’m serious!  Choosing which choice to make first is the most important one you’ll ever settle.

The Psalmist understood that; he knew that every day, every morning his life was in his hands.  In the Bible’s longest chapter, dedicated primarily as a tribute to Scripture, and instruction on what to do with God’s Word, the Psalmist wants us to make a marriage between all of life’s decisions and obeying God’s law.  Obedience equals good choices!

Today

Today, like every day, your life really is in your hands, so be wise; don’t forget God’s Word.  Hide that Word in your heart; apply it everywhere, every day, in every situation.  Make it your life’s principle.

In short:

When it comes to my life’s choices – I’m all-in for God’s way!