Devotion

<<attachment, loyalty>>

Can we do less than “Serve God with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind” considering He has saved us from eternal damnation and blesses us in this life with His Spirit residing within to guide and comfort us (Deut 6:13; Jn 10:11, 14:16; Rom 12:11; 1 Cor 6:19, 7:35; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Thes 1:10)?

God is to be first in our lives

Be committed to God and His cause, getting rid of anything that would hinder your devotion to Him (Mk 10:29-31; Lk 9:24; Eph 4:22; Heb 12:1). Don’t count your life of greater value than continually surrendering yourself to God. Our devotion to God is measured by our love for God and others, hatred of evil, and obedience to His commands (Mk 12:30,31; Jn 14:15; 1 Jn 2:15, 4:21, 5:2,3). God states, we are not to have any other gods apart from Him (Ex 20:3-5,23). Yet Satan uses deception and our love for the things of this world to turn our hearts from full devotion to God and connection to Him, the source of divine life (1 Kgs 11:4; Jn 10:10; 2 Cor 11:3). Is our heart’s cry, “We will only serve the Lord” (Josh 24:15). Any such verbal statement must be backed up with consistant action that proves the sincerity of our words. Jesus would challenge us as He did Peter, "Do you love me more than ______" (Jn 21:15).

God wants us to do right, all the time, for obedience is better than repenting after having sinned but the more we have been forgiven and blessed by God the greater should be our devotion to Him (1 Sam 15:22; Lk 7:47). How much do I value the sacrifice Jesus

Live out your devotion to Christ

voluntarily made for me? This is expressed in worship, availability and obedience to God. While the debt we owe for our salvation can never be repaid, we are instructed to serve others in good-works and telling them about Christ (Mt 28:19,20; Mk 5:19; Act 4:20; Gal 6:10).

An example of devotion is Anna who “worshipped night and day, fasting and praying” (Lk 2:37). Her genuine devotion enabled her to recognize the Saviour. When devotion to God becomes a ritual and performance, we lapse into hypocrisy and miss His guidance.

Husbands and wives should be devoted to each other, caring for each other as best mates and especially maintaining exclusive sexual intimacy.