Jump In The Deep End

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” –  Luke 5:4

As Christians we are longing for a deeper and more meaningful Christian life. We sense that the answer is found with God and that the Holy Spirit has placed that passion within every Christian to know God and grow spiritually. But how does the Christian dive deeper into spiritual things?

The Christian faith is not boring, mundane, or safe. It is the greatest adventure any human being can ever experience. It demands all you have and are, and then it demands more. It demands that we be all in. The gospel costs us nothing. We can’t earn it or buy it. The gospel is a free gift because of God’s grace. But while it doesn’t cost anything, it demands everything.  

That’s where we get stuck. We get stuck in a spiritual no man’s land.  Most people struggle with total commitment. Yes, we have good intentions. And yes, for the most part we want to be “all in” at least until the reality of being all in sets in. Then we are not so sure. We have so many moving parts in life that we worry about what to let go and what to hold on to tightly. So there are parts of our lives that we are still trying to control. We’re afraid that if we go all in that we might miss out on what this life has to offer.  It’s not true.  The only thing you’ll miss out on is everything God has to offer.   

No one has ever sacrificed anything for God.  You always get back more than you gave up.  The eternal reward always outweighs the earthy sacrifice.  At the end of the day, our greatest regret will be whatever we didn’t give back to God.

Being “all in” for Jesus is turning to Him again and again, not just in difficult times but in good times too because connecting with Him remains the first priority in our life.  Being all in is trusting His Word and promises more than life itself. It is willing to take risks for our faith—for Him—and step out to represent Him to those around us.   

It may take longer than five years to learn to turn to Jesus consistently from our heart and not just in our head.  It’s a process, similar to a toddler learning to walk. It is one step at a time. And when all those steps are completed you can find yourself all in and in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does the idea of being “all in” for Jesus mean to you?  
2. What can we do this week to begin the process of becoming the you, you want to be in 5 years?