“All in” is a phrase often used to denote being fully committed to something. To succeed in most areas of life, it is necessary to have a high level of commitment. Doing things half-heartedly usually result in failure.

This same principle is applicable when it comes to serving God. God does not ask a lot from us. We get to ride on His train of grace, mercy, and love all the way to heaven, and all He asks from us is total commitment. When it comes to serving Him, God wants us to be “all in.” The failure of Solomon was half-hearted commitment.

1 Kings 11:4 (ESV)
⁴ For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Being “all in” will keep us from allowing sin to dwell in us. The wives of Solomon were able to turn his heart to other gods because he was not committed to the LORD. When the Bible tells us the object of God’s anger concerning Solomon, we are told that He “was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel” (1 Kings 11:9). The result of this was a heart not wholly true to God, something He will never tolerate.

To be “all in” spiritually means to put God first in your lives. Jesus declared this to be a core principle of Christianity in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33). To expect God’s presence in our lives, we must put Him first. We must be “all in.” Serving God with all of our hearts is not something for which we should be commended because it is the least we can do. God expects nothing less. Now, what is the proof that we are “all in?”

One sign of being “all in” is attending all of the services of the saints. When you think about it, this is not asking a whole lot. It amounts to worshiping God with other saints for about five hours a week. Most people watch more TV than that in a single day. Let me state the obvious—if watching TV is a higher priority in your life than serving God, you are not “all in.” Now, attending every service does not automatically mean that you are “all in,” but it is one indication that you are. Anyone who attends just one or two services a week is not totally committed.

Being an active member of a local church is another indication that someone is “all in” to serving God. The local church is the only organization through which God accomplishes His work today. You cannot be committed to God and indifferent toward the local church. Much of our service to God is done by being an active member of the church. Do not be a bystander. There are too many of those in the body of Christ, leaving the bulk of the work to be done by a few. Use your talent(s) to help your local church reach its full potential.

As I indicated previously, being “all in” involves putting God before everyone and everything else in your lives. Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

Are you “all in?” If you want to succeed as a Christian, there is no other way. Total commitment is what God demands. It is not too much to ask, especially when we consider what we get in return.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.