To rodeo, you have to be committed, God looks for the same
By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross
In the sport of rodeo, you have to be “all-in.”
It isn’t something you can do halfheartedly and expect to have any success. While there’s a danger in any rodeo sport, on the roughstock side of the arena, especially bull riders, know that if you aren’t all-in when you get in that bucking chute, you’re going to get hurt and maybe get others hurt too who have to try to rescue you.
Most rodeo cowboys would agree that you can’t play at these sports. You have to take it seriously, be fully committed and put all your effort into it.
James using the need for wisdom to teach us something about being committed and all-in with our faith.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
This isn’t an instruction that if we fail at it, we aren’t good enough for God or to make it to Heaven but it’s a strong direction from James that if we are to be firm in our faith when seek help or direction from God.
As Christians or in rodeo, there’s a difference between making mistakes or getting something wrong and not being all-in. We’re still going to mess it up and sometimes it can even be costly. Getting the timing wrong means missing a catch in calf roping or getting hung up and in a dangerous situation during a bull ride. For believers, it can mean engaging in a sin with consequences such as an unplanned pregnancy or lashing out in anger and damaging a relationship the other person no long wants to repair.
God gives us grace for when we get it wrong but James makes it very clear that we need to be singularly focused on our faith. It defines us and there is no other way to live it out.
When we don’t, he describes us as being tossed two and fro like waves in an ocean. As Christians, we understand all our choices and decisions as Christians are directed by God, the Holy Spirit and our attempts to live out what is taught to us in Scripture. When we aren’t committed to our faith wholeheartedly, if we try following our own plan, from God’s perspective, we’re just being tossed around with no solid footing or ability to be on track. The only track we should be on is the one God has for us. Sometimes our direction is more clear than other times, but we should be taking each step on solid ground with a firm intent on letting a Biblical understanding direct our choices.
In this particular example from James, he is telling us that when we are facing struggles and are unsure of what to do, we should ask God for wisdom. But when we ask for it, we’re to approach God firm in our faith and confident He will guide us.
That means being willing to go where He leads us and do what we know He expects us to do.
That wisdom can come from people we know who are more mature in our faith or it can come directly from reading God’s word. If it comes from others, it won’t contradict anything we can find in the Bible.
To help us be firm and all-in, we have to spend time in God’s word studying and learning.
We know you’re all-in as rodeo cowboys but are you all-in for God? We’re here to help you figure it out if you are uncertain how to do it.
Recent Comments