Devoted

Merriam-Webster defines “devoted” as “having strong love or loyalty for something or someone.”

Recently, Stan Mitchell reflected on the concept of devotion from a personal experience:

In high school I met a young lady who invited me to a meeting of the Stamp Club.  It was amazing how interesting collecting stamps could be when the speaker was a green-eyed brunette!  She was club secretary, and I devoted the next few weeks to snatching people’s envelopes and securing stamps, displaying them in my book and bringing them to the club.  It became apparent however, that not only was this young lady dedicated to collecting stamps, she was also dedicated to the club president, a young man two years my senior.

So my fascination with all-things-stamp-collecting diminished.  I began to miss meetings.  She ran across my path as I was making my way from one school building to another.  Her question was a little funny:

“I thought you were more devoted to stamp collecting than that.”

Well, truth be known, I wasn’t that dedicated to stamps.  Must have been something else.*

God has displayed incredible devotion to us by creating us, creating a world in which to live, and providing for all of our needs.  His most profound demonstration of loving devotion, however, is the gift of His Son, whom He gave to die for our sins so that we might have forgiveness and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  Only the death of Jesus – the sinless Son of God – could atone for the sins of man.  So God, because of His great love and devotion, gave His Son to die in our place.

And what does God desire from us?  Our devotion to Him.  Considering the extent of His loving devotion to us, we should gladly devote our lives to Him.

We express our loving devotion to God through our trust and obedience.  God has promised to save those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who devote themselves to following Him faithfully (1 John 1:7).

Mitchell affirms: “You know, it’s a sad day when we treat our Christianity, and the Lord’s church like a club, a past time, or a hobby.  It’s not something we’re supposed to pick up for a time, then later look back on as a funny episode in our lives; it’s supposed to be a devotion to Christ, His church and His service!”

“There are some things in life where a passing interest will simply not do; a devotion to it is the only and proper response” – especially when it comes to expressing our devotion to a God who gave His Son to die for us so that we might live.

“Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
-- Isaac Watts

Won’t YOU devote your life to Him through your trusting obedience?

-- David A. Sargent

* From “Devoted” by Stan Mitchell in Forthright Magazine, www.forthright.net, 11/12/15.

David A. Sargent, Minister