When I was a kid, I had a summer job where I pulled weeds and took care of a few neighbors overly grown (and neglected) yards. It was back breaking work for a kid, but when payday came it suddenly seemed worthwhile. One week I earned around $100 and had all kinds of thoughts of what I could buy with that money. I wanted a new video game, I wanted a new basketball, I wanted to buy some CD’s, until one day, my dreams came crashing down. My best buddy was staying the night at my house and we decided to play a friendly game of poker. I knew that he had earned some money that summer so I came up with the brilliant idea that we should place a bet. Both of us were excited about the prospect of increasing our earnings so we got to it.
We played back and forth for a while, he won a few games, I won a few games, we were essentially dead even. All of a sudden I received an attractive hand. I thought to myself “this is my time to strike gold”! So I went all in. I bet every penny I had on my hand. Guess what happened? I flipped over my had confident of victory and then my buddy flipped over his hand, and he won! I lost all of my money in that one game of poker. 3 months wages down the drain. 3 months of pulling weeds (one at a time by hand) for nothing. No new video games, no new basketball, no new CD’s. I was frustrated, and my buddy was ecstatic (as you could imagine).
Later that night when my friend fell asleep, I stole the money back (I saw him tuck it in his shoe). When he woke up he accused me of stealing what was rightfully his. I accused him of taking advantage of his friend by keeping the money when he knew I worked so hard for it. He went home irritated with me for being a poor loser. I moped around the house upset thinking my best friend should have had mercy on me. Our 5 year long friendship came to a sudden end all because I decided I would “bet it all on black”.
While there are a lot of lessons that can be learned from that story, one lesson in particular has been floating around in my head. I wonder if people don’t “bet it all on black” in several areas of their life (not just money) ? People put their faith in a certain political party or politician to deliver them. People put their faith in their spouse to love them. People put their faith in religious leaders (pastors, evangelists, prophets) and expect them to lead them. Countless people place their faith in all kinds of worldviews, systems, and people, and go “all in”.
What happens when that pastor you loved gets caught up in a scandal (after you went all in) ? What happens when that politician you zealously supported gets caught stealing (after you went all in)? What happens when you discover your spouse has a secret addiction to internet pornography (after you went all in)? It all comes tumbling down. You find yourself in a position like I found myself. Broke, with nothing to show for all of your efforts.
I’m not telling you to not trust your spouse or to not support a specific politician. I’m not telling you to not look up to your pastor either. What I’m telling you is that you need to reevaluate your situation to determine if you are “all in” when you shouldn’t be. Do you have unrealistic expectations of these people? Are you constantly expecting these people (or things) to provide you with some sort of winnings (like I expected when I gambled away my summer earnings) ? If that is the case, you are spending every day of your life gambling.
You don’t have to gamble any more though. If I could take back time I wouldn’t have went all in with my summer earnings. I wouldn’t have been so childish about the whole thing, and wouldn’t have taken the money out of my buddy’s shoes. I’ve learned from that experience and have applied what I have learned to other areas of my life. I no longer put all of my faith in Government to deliver me. I no longer expect perfection from my pastor. I look at my wife as my equal knowing that there are times when we both make mistakes and need improvement. By doing these things, I am no longer devastated when something doesn’t go my way or when someone does something that is disappointing.
Ultimately, there has only been one man in the history of mankind that is worth going “all in” over. His name is Jesus Christ. He is Lord. He is perfect. He is magnificent. He loves you. He wants you to repent of your sins, and to come to Him “all in”. Stop putting all of your faith in the Republican Party to deliver you. Stop putting all of your faith in your spouse to perfectly please you. Don’t raise you pastor up on an altar that is so high that it’s only a matter of time before he falls. If you have to go all in, go all in with Jesus.
“14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16
The Religious Nerd 