Devotion

Today, Pastor Bill talked about devotion. What does it mean for us to be fully devoted; to be passionate followers of Jesus Christ? The more I become entrenched in the Old Testament, the more I am convinced that our devotion and Christ-followership must start with our fear, honor, and worship of a holy, all-powerful God.

It is easy to be devoted to a trend or a current cause or even an new and cool church. But that devotion only lasts as long as the trend it trendy, the cause is current, or the church stays new and cool. But if I want to be a fully devoted passionate follower of Christ, I must be fully devoted to our God of Wonders who does not change.

What does it mean to be devoted? To be set apart? To be fully surrended to the work of God in my life? For me, I need to continue to deepen my understanding of who God is.... I must understand the story of which I am a part of... I must acquire a deep appreciation for what God demands of me. Only then will I be able to understand how unworthy I am to be able to stand in the presence of God; only then will I be fully able to grasp the awesomeness of God; only then will I be filled the the fear of God and His awesome power. And then, and only then, will I be fully able to grasp what the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus really accomplished for me and us.

I long to have my legacy include being a passionate follower of Christ; I want to be regarded as one devoted to God and to the teachings of Christ; I want to be led by the Holy Spirit to live the life that God has called me to (good, bad or ugly). I am going to miss it plenty - as a leader I will make poor decisions; as a friend I will not always be as friendly as I should be - the examples are plenty... but my heart yearns to desire righteousness so as to honor the God of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I desire to lean in to worship God and His Son who stood in the gap for me; I desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit to give me peace, patience, kindness, gentleness as well as power and confidence.

I desire to be devoted.... 'hopelessly devoted'..... to God.