As I continue looking at words that can help us grow in our relationship with God, this week the letter is “D” and the word is “devotion”. Being devoted to God means that we put His will and His desire above our own wishes. In our world today, more than ever, the Christian is under the microscope in all we say and do. Just this past week, events have taken place that cause, not just our own  country, but the world to judge how Christians view others.

In Matthew 22:37-38 we read the words of Christ that tell us what devotion should look like for the Christian. Jesus said; “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” True, Jesus goes on to talk about how we are to love others. However, to be perfectly honest, if we don’t love God with all of our heart, loving others the way we should is going to be difficult, if not impossible. So how do we know if we are being devoted to God and loving Him the way we should? I believe there are two times in our lives when we need to make sure we are doing what God calls us to do instead of doing what we, or others, say we should do. I believe events this past week have shown we, as a country, struggle in these two areas.

The first time we need to be devoted to God is when we are alone. This is probably the most difficult time to be devoted to God because we feel no one knows what we are doing. True, while others may not be able to see us, or watch us, we do need to understand God knows our hearts and minds and knows what we are up to. Knowing we are watched, whether working at our jobs, or working in school, easily motivates us to do what we are supposed to do. No one wants to get caught being lazy or not working. If we understand God is always with us, not in a judging way but in a loving way, it should motivate us to think and act in ways that put Him first in our lives, even when we are alone.

Another time we need to make sure we are devoted to God is when we see others who need us to help them. Christ taught a lot about serving others and making sure we share Christ with those around us. Honestly, as I write this article, I struggle with this part because of events that have taken place this week. I think decisions have been made to both help and harm others. I think we need to do a lot of praying about what God would have us do to help our friends, and even those who we do not call friend. I think we need to work on this area as Christians.

Being devoted to God, and loving Him with all we have, can draw us closer to Him. Let’s make sure we are living for Him and not for ourselves or others. Until next week..

Peace and Blessings..

Johnny