All Or Nothing

Though I'm not an Oklahoma fan (never liked that dream sequence Laurey has....and that mean guy Jud that tries to marry her ~ eek!), I couldn't help but think of the lyrics to one of Oklahoma's songs as I was begining this post.

Remember, when Ado Annie and Will Parker are in the barnyard, singing about their relationship?

"With me it’s all er nuthin’.  Is it all er nuthin' with you? It cain't be "in between" it cain't be "now and then" no half and half romance will do!"

This morning I was reading Isaiah 7.....and I wanted to share a verse that stood out to me. (Just shelf that Oklahoma bit in your mind for now....it'll make sense later.)

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

~Isaiah 7:9b

What immediately came to my mind?  Faith is not worth holding if you aren't unwavering in it.  If I treat my faith in God as an 'acessory', just one of the many balls I juggle, than what's even the point?

There's a saying that's becoming super popular these days....one of those phrases that everyone is posting on their facebook walls or jotting down on sticky notes or posting on their blogs (uh, ignore that last one).

"Wherever you are, be all there."

I would venture to say that that directly corellates to the way our relationship with God functions.  If I'm not "all there" in my faith, can I truly say that I'm "there" at all?  If I'm not 100% devoted to Jesus Christ, than why even bother with all the church stuff and seemingly endless rules?  There is no in-between.  I'm either completely sold out to the Lord, or I'm living for myself.

In Revelation, God says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of My mouth."

It seems that we treat God as an afterthought much of the time.  Rambling on about ourselves and then tacking on a "oh, and I'm a Christian too" on the end seems so...backwards.  Trying to fit God into my life, as if He were a 'project' to fit into a busy schedule, is totally opposite from who He was meant to be.   

If I'm to be truly useful to the God, He needs all  of me.  And yes, this gets specific.  He needs to govern every thought, every desire, every dream, every goal, every piece of clothing I choose, every dollar I earn, every relationship I form, every decision, every minute I live.....He needs to be in it all.

So now, that song from Oklahoma makes sense, doesn't it?  I'm either all in, or all out.  All or nothing.  Everything I am or nothing at all.  Sold out or not even for sale.

Is it "all er nuthin" with you? :-)