“I Give My All”

Ever suffered a heartbreak? While loving others carries a risk, love is our calling card as Believers in Jesus Christ. Let's make a promise: "I give my all."

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35

Before I met my husband Mike, I was in a relationship in which I got hurt emotionally.

However in the midst of that hurt, I made a promise.

That promise changed my future and it can change yours too.

A Promise Made

As a single woman, I promised myself that I would not make my future husband pay for what someone else did.

I would not allow the other person to rob me of future happiness. I would not close off parts of my heart to prevent it from being hurt again.

I would allow God to heal my hurt so that I could give my future husband all-access to my heart.

I promised myself that when I got married, I would give my all. No matter the consequences, I would give my all.

That is exactly what I do with my husband, Mike. And he gives me his all too.

Because we give each other our all and keep our relationship with Jesus at the center of our marriage, we have a great one.

A Promise Kept

Here is how this principle applies to you: You may have been hurt from the past or other people may have hurt you in the present.

So you might be holding back from life. You might have closed off parts of yourself as emotional insulation to keep from being hurt again.

You think it is safer to leave something in reserve!

You might have even closed off parts of yourself from God, even to the point of giving Him limited access to your heart.

Because others have hurt or disappointed you, you fear He will too.

But I am asking you to make a promise to yourself that can change your life as you practice it every day. Lay aside your fear of what may happen.

Decide that whatever happens, you can handle it with God's help.

Say these words to God in prayer: "I give You my all."

Some days, you will have more to give than others. Some days, you will feel tired. Some days you will feel weak. Some days you might stumble or fall.

But whatever emotional state you find yourself in each day, get up and do your best with what you have - whatever that turns out to be.

You have the power of God's Spirit with you.

Give your all.

When you hold back from life or try to hide out from it, you are robbing yourself ultimately.

Imagine the regret you will feel if you reach the end of your life and know that you could have done better had you yielded to the Holy Spirit's guidance within you!

Therefore...

...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-3)."

I am grateful to God that He helped me to lay aside my fear, anger, and emotional eating habits that were holding me back from reaching my ideal weight.

When I lost the emotional weight, my physical weight normalized.

Because of our gratitude to God for what He has done for us, we give our all to the people we serve through the Take Back Your Temple program.

After all, we have the best role model of all in Jesus. He didn't hold anything back from us. Neither should we hold anything back from Him.

Give your all.