You and I have busy lives. In those busy lives, we have many important things to do, and most of us prioritize our tasks, even if we don’t always explicitly realize it. If you think about it, I would imagine that saving unborn children, protecting and raising your family according to your beliefs, being allowed to worship as you choose, and similar values are pretty high on your list. But my question is this: are you “all in”?
I dare you to think of more important things that matter in your life than those I’ve listed above. You want these dearly held values to last for your children, grandchildren, and our great country. Someone once said to me, “When you do something to last, you do it differently.” Exactly. When you want it to last, you are “all in”.
Given my role representing these values across North Dakota, I certainly need to be all in. That’s my job and my commitment to you, our ministry partners. But what about you? It’s not your job, but I would contend you also need to be “all in”, and what does that look like?
Some of you are “all in” through testifying during legislative sessions. Others stand outside Red River Women’s Clinic on Wednesdays and try to prevent the deaths of preborn children. Writing editorials in local publications to make your voice heard is another important way to engage. Others of you support our organization financially, allowing us to be “all in” on your behalf. Thank you for all these things.
Every time I’ve been presented with a job offer over the years, I’ve always said the same thing to the prospective employer before accepting the job. “I am completely committed to the success of this company, but you need to know that my priorities are God, family, and work, in that order. If you can’t live with that, please don’t hire me.” Interestingly, every employer, nonprofit or for-profit, Christian or secular has said they can live with it. I wanted them to know that I was all in, but that there was a priority, based on my values.
Please understand that I’m not trying to guilt anyone. We all deal with enough guilt in our lives, thanks to society’s onslaught. I’m simply saying that whatever God calls you to do; to protect these children, defend your families, or stand for religious freedom, be “all in”. Give it everything you can and please think long and hard where these values are on your list of priorities. Whatever you do to uphold and advance your most sacred values, be “all in”!
Sincerely,
Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director