ALL IN!
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:23-25
The Message paraphrase sums up Colossians 3:23-25 well:
Don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best.
Minimal effort and the believer in Jesus Christ should have nothingin common. If we are serving the Lord and not men, then may we be those women who are “ALL IN”.
This idea of being “ALL IN” comes from a poker term meaning “to wage one’s entire stake”. It may not be the best analogy, but the comparison works if we use it in the Christian life to describe a heart that is fully engaged.
“Heartily” used here means “out of the soul”. Whatever we do, we are to do it with a genuine attitude originating from the depth of our soul. Whether we are in our home washing dishes, doing laundry, or out in the workplace completing our daily tasks, it is God’s desire that we are enthusiastic and energetic, setting out to please Him.
The best way to describe the opposite of being “ALL IN” would be to say that we are just “going through the motions”. The danger of laboring acceptably on the outside, but disconnecting our hearts on the inside, is that we know that God looks at our heart. We would be better served to not do something at all, then to do it half-heartedly.
If you are a leader in ministry, then you have probably discovered by now that it can be hard to find servants that are “committed”. Commitment is a character trait to be admired and it is often complemented with “hearty” service to the Lord.
For the woman who is “all in”, her labors are motivated and compelled by Christ’s love. Her life speaks of an appreciation and gratitude to her God that leaves no option for anything less than her best efforts. She is a light to all and can be trusted. Her excellence in whatever she puts her hand to, draws attention to the One she serves.
We see this “all in” attitude played out in every area of the Proverbs 31 woman’s life. She was one who “excelled” above them all because she was a woman who first feared the Lord. We may be remiss in looking only at the many things she was able to do, instead of digging a bit deeper and discovering the attitude in which she did so many things.
Take a moment to consider where you might need to change your attitude about the many things that you are doing. If you find yourself struggling with half-halfheartedness maybe you need to examine your motives — be sure it is Christ and Him alone that you serve!
If you like these devotionals, look at our Bible study on Colossians!