“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it ALL IN the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
Would you ever consider performing a complicated surgical procedure on yourself? Even the thought of cutting into my own skin and trying to operate grosses me out. Unless you’re Rambo, you probably feel the same way.
Way back in 1921, however, that’s exactly what Dr. Evan Kane did in Pennsylvania. Kane, now remembered as a pioneer in the medical world and as chief surgeon and a founding member of New York City’s Kane Summit Hospital, tried for many months to convince patients in need of surgery to use local anesthesia. As you can imagine, surgery in the 1920s was not quite as refined as it is today. The only practice back then was general anesthesia (putting the patient “under” or knocking them out), which dramatically increased recovery time and risk of complications. Kane was an advocate for local anesthesia, which he hypothesized was sufficient for many minor surgical procedures.
But Kane needed a guinea pig. He wanted to test his theory. Not surprisingly, Kane found no takers. No one seemed to believe this quite enough to risk their own bodies to find out. Sure, they were curious and intrigued by the idea, but they weren’t committed.
So, in an extraordinary effort to test his hypothesis, Kane became his own guinea pig and operated on himself, removing his appendix using only local anesthesia. He made the large incision, took out his appendix, and then let another doctor stitch him up while laughing and talking through the entire process.
What a beautiful picture of being All In. Dr. Kane made the daring decision to go All In to prove what he fully believed. He held nothing back, and he knew he’d have to prove it to himself before asking anyone else to follow. In the eyes of others, Kane risked everything—his reputation and his health—but he was so confident in his beliefs that he knew the reward far outweighed the risks. Talk about commitment and conviction!
We, too, can live with the same All In commitment and conviction. Here are a few biblical lessons can we learn:
Behavior always follows belief. If we believe in something deeply enough, we’ll do almost anything for it—make sacrifices, work harder, whatever it takes. In Romans 12:1 (NIV), Paul pushes us to “offer [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” as a way to worship Him. He is telling us to be All In. He is saying that everything we do—how we eat, sleep, work, speak, study, play, or even just hang out—should demonstrate our belief in and love for Jesus.
When I believe deeply that Jesus gave His all to save me, there’s no other choice but to give my all for Him. When I believe deeply that God’s ways are best, I will not compromise. When I believe deeply that Jesus is what others need, I will share my testimony boldly regardless of what people think. When I believe that “whatever I do, whether in word or deed” should glorify God, it changes my behavior.
Being All In requires discipline. Pastor Craig Groeschel once said, “Discipline is choosing what we want most over what we want now.” In other words, it’s choosing longings over cravings. We’re All In when we choose what we want most, but we’re in and out when we try to satisfy our cravings with substitutes. Substitutes never satisfy.
In 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV), Paul tells us to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” He is telling us to choose what we want most over what we want now.
When it comes to healthy living, there are some practical applications. I may want to stay up late now, but my body needs sleep most. I may want donuts now, but I want to feel healthy most. I may want to sit on the couch now, but my body needs exercise most.
Most people are in and out with their health, rather than All In. We are All In for a few weeks, and then we’re All Out as we fall off the wagon. We are All In when we eat in, but All Out when we eat out. We are All In when our schedule permits, but All Out when we get too busy.
The question you need to ask is, “Do I want to be well?” If that’s what we want the most, then our behavior will reflect that. God wants us to be All In to glorify him in every area of our life. And that is our spiritual act of worship.
--This article appears in the July/August 2014 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue in its entirety digitally, click here: http://bit.ly/fcamagvol56issue4
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