A- All in/Matthew West

When I first heard this song, the lyrics that first stood out to me,was the lyrics “safe is just another word for regret.” I was talking to a girl named Jennifer online and wondered what it would mean to go “all in” in this blossoming friendship/relationship.

Shortly before talking to this girl, there was a girl I was talking to here in Maryland who wrecked my heart when she said she didn’t want to date me. I didn’t want my heart to be broken again. I later told Jennifer, I wanted to go “all in” with her, when I was not ready to at the time. I found out later that I nearly freaked her out in the process. A month later, I went “all in” and asked this girl out. This girl has now become my wife, and we have a beautiful son.

Now the song has taken on new application in my life since marriage. I have asked myself questions such “What does it mean for me to go “all in” in my relationship with God?, “How do I go “all in” with my relationships with my wife, my family, my friends, my co-workers.

I am learning slowly, but surely, that it means to be not just physically present, but emotionally present. Taking time to know God through scripture, taking time to engage those around me and show Jesus through my life, my words, and actions.

What would it mean for you to go “all in” today? What would it mean for you to be emotionally present in your relationship with God and the lives of people you have a direct line of influence?