Good morning. It’s Friday, May 2nd, 2025. Growing up in Hawai‘i, we’d often say, Go For Broke…actually it sounded more like, “Go fo’ broke.” It meant going all in—no holding back, no second-guessing. Be willing to risk it all. Today’s passage reminds me that Jesus invites us to the same kind of surrender. Not partial. Not convenient. The kind that costs everything… He asks us to Go For Broke.
Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 16; Psalm 106; Matthew 19
Scripture
“Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”” (Matthew 19:21 NIV)
Observation
This moment with the rich young man lingers. He came to Jesus sincerely—not to trap Him, but to ask a question we’ve all asked in quieter ways: “What am I still missing?”
Jesus doesn’t give him a formula. He gives him a fork in the road: Let go—or walk away.
The man walks away—not defiantly, but torn. And that’s what makes the story so haunting. It doesn’t end in transformation—it ends in hesitation…it ends with tension.
It exposes the line in all of us—the point where following Jesus starts to cost something we weren’t expecting. It’s one thing to follow Him when it’s convenient. It’s another when He asks for something we thought we’d get to keep.
Application
There are things I say I’ve surrendered… until Jesus actually reaches for them.
I’d like to think I’m “all in.” But the truth is, I still keep emotional savings accounts—areas I manage quietly, just in case obedience becomes uncomfortable.
This man wasn’t unwilling to do something for God. He just wasn’t willing to do everything. He wanted to add Jesus to his well-managed life—not build his life around Jesus.
And I get that.
Deep down, I still want to follow Jesus and hold on to the life I planned. I want Jesus—and control. And comfort. And a fallback plan. I want Jesus and ________. But the invitation to follow is not to add Jesus to my life—it’s to build my life on Him entirely. Anything less wouldn’t change me.
“Go for broke” isn’t about being extreme—it’s about being free. No hedging. No backup plan. Just Jesus.
I’m not fully there yet. But I want to be.
Prayer
Lord, I’m grateful You love me enough to ask for everything. You see the parts I keep guarded, and You don’t shame me—you invite me. Show me what I’m still afraid to lose. Teach me what it means to go for broke… and to find You in the surrender. Amen.
—Chris Kiriakos