“You Can Bet On It” by Justin March

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.”Robert Louis Stevenson

As I was playing poker with a great group of friends Friday night, I began to think about how many times my life has been a gamble.  I have gambled on relationships, career choices, investments, and beliefs.  I have gambled on deadlines, expectations, and results.  And I have gambled on taking the right path, following the correct course, and understanding God’s mission.  Sometimes the cards were in my favor, but sometimes they were not.  I could never quite get a grip on the hands I was dealt.

We play a friendly game of poker when we get together, but it is still always competitive.  We must decipher if our opponents truly have a great hand or be willing to stand pat when we think they are bluffing.  We must contain our emotions if we want to succeed, and we must keep a level head when making decisions.  Sometimes we have a good night and the chips fall our way.  But sometimes, the cards dealt are troublesome, and we need to take a step back and realize when it is time to fold and wait for the next round.

What is it in life that you see as a gamble?  Marriage, children, church, religion, or political affiliation?  Eating habits, exercise, spending choices, or your use of time?  How about charity, finding the lost, or spreading God’s word?  We are faced with so many choices in this life, and often the message is not clear enough to understand what we are supposed to do.

So, we gamble.  We try to make the best decisions, but without proper guidance, it is impossible to know if the choice is correct.  Sometimes we know right away if we did the right thing, but sometimes it can take a long time to understand the plan.  The gamble may come with blockades, failures, and heartache, but it may also come with success, happiness, and peace.  The choices we have to make come with freewill, but if we take a step back and listen to the whispers of God, we may find out our decision comes a little easier.

I spent way too much time gambling on how I should live my life.  I only listened to myself, I thought I knew everything, and I always felt like I had the best hand.  I made choices that sabotaged relationships, crushed me financially, and left behind scars.  I misread some of my opponents and often found myself on the losing side of the table.  And when you are playing your hand blind, not knowing what the next card may bring, I have found the results are usually not favorable.

It took many years, but here is what I have found to be true.  I can go “all-in” on God.  When he tells me to push back, run the other way, and avoid the dangers ahead, I can fold my cards and wait for the next move.  But when he gives me that nudge, tells me to march forward, and invokes a feeling inside me I cannot ignore, it is then that I throw in all my chips because the reward is too great to ignore.  He has proven to me, on so many occasions, that life doesn’t need to be a gamble if I open up and allow him to show me the way.

Are there things in life you are gambling with?  Are there decisions that seem impossible to make?  We have the choice to do this on our own and take the chance of winning or losing, or we can follow God’s lead and be confident in the path he wants us to follow.  We may not see the results right away, but I do believe that if we understand our mission and listen to what God is asking of us, we erase the gambles in life.  And instead of chasing dreams that may or may not result in wealth, riches, fame, and success, we become like Christ with a perfect hand of love, compassion, forgiveness, and grace.  That is a hand I am willing to go “all-in” for!