“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.'” — Acts 26:28 (NKJV)
Give Your All
If you’ve played competitive sports, undoubtedly there is a memory of a time you came so close to a big win only to fall just short. Chances are you can probably recount the details of the game as if it were yesterday.
At the age of 13, I played on a competitive hockey team. We made it to the best-of-seven championship series and were leading our rivals by a score of 7-2 at the end of two periods in the deciding game. You guessed it, we blew that five-goal lead and lost the game and series in overtime. It was devastating at the time. Every so often, that moment gets relived when I reunite with teammates. We shake our heads when recounting the night we almost won that title.
In one of the saddest verses of the Bible, King Agrippa says to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28, NKJV). Paul had just powerfully shared with the king how God had transformed his life. Agrippa’s mind and soul undoubtedly had pondered the truth he was confronted with, but in the end he decided not to pursue a relationship with the one, true God.
Wins and losses in sport are inconsequential, but what we do with God is far from it. Perhaps you are contemplating, as Agrippa did, putting your faith and trust in Jesus and His death and resurrection. Maybe you have a relationship with the living God, but it is not where it could be, and His Spirit has been impressing on you the need to get serious in serving Him with all your heart.
Don’t let your life be one that almost experiences the abundant life God created you for (John 10:10). Give Him your all today!
— Craig Nixon
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