all in or overboard?

So this morning while I was running, God gave me this analogy (what does that say about how the run was going), either you are all in or you are out.  There is no in between.  You are either on the boat or you are swimming in the water.  God is not going to allow you to be pulled behind on a tube.

In life we are called to be all in or to step out.  In our marriages, in raising our children, in our faith, in our friendships. The problem is that too many parents or spouses live with the thinking that half foot in is an acceptable way to live.  My kids go to daycare so I can work.  Most of their time is spent in the hands of others.  So I must carefully guard the time outside of that, choosing to be all hands on deck in my parenting. Yes, that means I can’t do all the things I would like to or be all the places others feel I should be.  That also means I must make sure to spend quantitiy and quality time with my kids.  I have to say no to things because God has given me two very precious gifts and told me to watch over them.  I will not be like the man who burried his talents in the ground.  In marriage you can’t have one foot in and one out because marriages are created by a jealous God.  He knows what it is like to feel jealousy and wants no part of it in a marriage. We have to totally invest in our spouses knowing that God has created this union no matter what we have turned in into.  Because of that we must take the time to say no to other things (even good things) to make sure we are investing our hearts, our time, and our talents into our marriage and into our spouse.  Many people live thinking that there is such a thing as living as a lukewarm Christian.  I beg to differ. Christ says he will vomit such a thing out from his mouth.  Would he do that to someone that truly loves him? No.  Even in faith you are either in or out.  In the boat or in the water sinking.  You can’t have it both ways.  If you choose to live for HIm that do just that.  If you chose otherwise, be aware that this is the choice that you have made.

In a Revelations study that I am in, last night I realized something comlpletely new to me.  See I have always lived under the belief that when rapture happens and then later when Christ comes again, all the people who were in Hell would get another chance to choose Jesus.  That is in fact not the case.  They have already made their choice and there is not another one for all of eternity. 

Yes you read that right.  If your friend Bob dies as an unbeliever today, then Bob will spend eternity in the despairs of Hell.  Get in the boat.  Get out of the water.  Stop trying to live for the world and its expectations.  Chrsitians are the worst at protecting their time and the things that God has given them as blessings.  Not material things, but marirage, children, realtionships.  We get so wrapped up in good stuff that we loose focus on God’s plan and his desires for our lives.  It is time we realize the severity of what eternity WILL bring for those who are not sold out for Christ. We must choose to jump in the boat, all hands on deck, pursuing the all mighty God with every once of being that He has given us, protecting the talents He has given us, and working to further His kingdom by spreading the news of Christ Jesus.