New Series: All In

Have you ever taken a big risk? I’m not talking about eating your mom’s broccoli casserole after too many days in the fridge.  I’m talking about something that could have only ended with a big win or a big disaster. Asking a girl to prom that has never talked to you. Pep-rally dance-off. Stealing second base in the last inning of the playoffs. If you’ve ever gone all in, taken a big risk, there’s only one reason you did it. The payoff. For every risk, there’s the promise of a reward. And if the reward is worth it, if it’s enticing enough, you just might be willing to do things you might otherwise never consider. Did you know that serving the people around you can be risky? Not only is there no guarantee of being successful, of actually helping someone, but serving also means putting our comfort, our convenience, and our reputation on the line.  On the other hand, choosing not to serve others has risks as well. Not only could we miss out, but those around us may go without something that they really need. Either way, there’s a lot on the line. So the question you have to ask is: Am I going to play it safe or am I going to go all in?



Let’s be honest, the subject of giving to help others makes us all a little nervous. It’s not that we don’t want to help others or give to the needy. It’s just that most of us feel like we don’t have much to offer. Maybe you have an allowance or a part-time job, but that doesn’t mean you’re exactly roll- ing in the dough. What can your two or five or even ten bucks do to help someone, really. As a student, it’s easy to feel powerless when it comes to giving and serving others. But what if that isn’t true? What if we have more power to help others than we realize? What if giving isn’t as complicated as we make it? The book of Proverbs teaches that we all have the power to give. And by doing so, we may get more in return than we ever imagined.