Am I Devoted ?

I have observed and heard it said that there are those people who are very devoted to some thing, to some cause or to some person. It seems a noble, upright trait to be devoted to something worthwhile. But I think we use the term too loosely.

If we really understood its meaning, I believe we would be more careful in how we use it.

Devoted: to be zealous or ardent in attachment, loyal, having affection to

That is a very powerful definition of a commonly used word. I also looked up the word "ardent". That is not a word we use on a daily basis. It is a close companion to "devoted".

Ardent: passionate, fervent, intensely devoted to, vehement

"Devoted to Thee".....are we? You cannot mistake a man or woman who is truly, "devoted to Thee". It shows in every word they say, in every choice they make, in every appetite they indulge in. Devotion is fervent and intense in its loyalty and love. How many of us are truly devoted to Christ, under this definition? It is "hip" these days, to pick a cause to be vocal about. I see young people on college campuses that demonstrate and rally for all kinds of causes. They choose their cause strictly by their opinions and cultural persuasion, and God’s opinion gets forgotten in their "devotion" to that cause.

Devotion to the Saviour ought to be easily noticed. We are not making a very lasting impression on our families and the culture around us, with the brand of "spiritual devotion" that most 21st century Christians live.

Comfortable Christianity is commonplace. If a Christian woman or a single girl gets too "fervent", "zealous" or "passionate" in her attachment to serving the Lord in and through her local church, she can become unappreciated very quickly. Her fervor alone, can make the less devoted very uncomfortable. A devoted individual leaves a testimony trail that is unmistakable. A woman who is zealous and passionate about serving her husband or father, is looked upon as an oddity. Something out of the norm. Yet you put that same woman or young lady out on a street corner with a placard in her hand and she becomes somebody’s hero. How misguided we can become!
How "devoted" to the Lord are you?

1. Name the top two things you love and give yourself to most of the time.

~ Colossians 3:2 "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."

~ Where does the Lord rate on your list?

2. Do I give myself to Bible reading every day? Am I ardent in my attachment to and my need for God’s Word? Do I really want to hear from Him?

Job 23:12 "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

3. Do I give myself to any amount of prayer outside of meal time thanks?

Milton Martin once said, "Prayer should become a habit, an action repeated so often it becomes involuntary. Set aside a specific time of the day to dedicate only to prayer. Make a daily appointment with the Lord and keep it faithfully. Our priorities are revealed in how we spend our TIME, our MONEY and our ABILITIES."

Has prayer become any kind of important to us? Am I just too busy? You can be sure that this life will keep us too busy!

It is my responsibility to find time to devote myself fully to my Lord.

4. Do the things I give myself to, reflect my loyalty to Christ more than my love for self?

~It takes great effort to give ourselves to endeavors outside of self and self interest. John 12:25 "He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

Devotion to Christ cannot be missed! A.W. Tozer said it best.

"I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion....I want all that God has or I don’t want any." Every genuine believer should strive for this kind of "devotion". Am I truly "Devoted to Thee"?