// on going all in—in your dreams, your visions, and your calling //
“There’s no turning back now. I’m going all in; head first to the deep end.” – Matthew West, All In
This photo is from our honeymoon. Marriage is definitely an “all in” thing. And within the journey of marriage, God has led me on a journey of writing a book.
I completed an entire first draft and in the meantime God had quite a lesson to teach me — another journey on which to take me. It was a journey on which He revealed to me the true source of healing for the broken places of my soul. And as I emerged from the trenches, He revealed to me that the first draft of my book was a mere chapter in the story He really wanted me to tell.
And so now? I’m currently rewriting the book. And I’m going “all in.”
I’m committed to cranking out my book proposal so I can start pitching it to publishers. And yet it’s a scary thing. What if no one wants it? I said to Clay through tears the other night.
Fear. It’s one of the very things God has been instructing me to release. And it’s a lesson I must continue to apply on this journey of my writing, ministry and career.
What is your dream/vision/calling? Would you join me in letting go of fear and taking hold of God’s promises by immersing ourselves in Truth?
I’ve heard it said, “If God has called you, He will equip you.” And that “If you can do it in your own, it’s not from God; it’s from you.”*
If our dreams don’t scare us, we’re probably not dreaming big enough dreams.
If our visions don’t perplex us, we’re probably not envisioning all that God could do through us.
And if our calling doesn’t straight freak us out, well then we probably aren’t fully hearing from God.
I have clearly been given the dream and vision of writing a book. I have clearly heard God’s voice guiding me to write it. And so there is no other option I see on the path before me but to go “all in” on sharing this story He has called me to tell.
What has God called you to put your hands to? Into what waters has He shown you to jump “all in”?
Whether it’s a book, a screenplay, a business, a family or anything else under the sun, the journey of bringing anything worthwhile to completion won’t be easy.
Fear will fight you.
Satan will seduce you.
But if God has called you, He will equip you with armor and weapons for the battle.
He will He will stand by you and He will fight for you.
Would the cry of our daily battle over every force of anxiety, doubt, temptation and evil be:
“I hear You calling; this time the fear won’t win.”
In regard to the message of his song “All In,” writer and singer Matthew West said this:
“And I try to remember every day that going all in for the God who’s gone all in for me is the only way to reach the end with NO regrets.”
I’m going all in for the God who’s gone all in for me. How can I not? Won’t you? Let’s live lives of bold faith and no regrets knowing we went all in.
. . .
*quote from Bishop Ulmer at Faithful Central Church in Los Angeles, CA.
