Devotion

During worship Sunday morning, God spoke the word “devotion” to me – I felt it was a word I needed to understand better so that I could live it out with fullness.

I looked it up – most dictionaries assign it these 3 meanings:

a. Love, affection, and dedication to [a person, ideal, or activity].

b. Religious ardor, zeal, or piety

c. Religious activities or studies usually pertaining to Christianity; often used in the plural for written texts related to religious life.

This is definitely a word associated with Christianity, but in its primary definition it is also commonly used as a synonym for love. Love songs and poetry frequently use this word. What makes devotion such a strong word in the English language? Its connotations – related words such as love, veneration, idolatry, worship, loyalty, commitment, and allegiance bring to our minds a set of extremes and superlatives. Devotion is not a common word, not is it a lukewarm emotion. One definition I found contained the words “selfless affection.” Feeling so strongly committed to a something or someone that you consider them to be more important than yourself is a powerful emotion. Another definition said devotion was “marked by dedicated loyalty.”

To what or to whom are we devoted? What parts of our lives deserve our devotion? Many of us catch ourselves devoting the best of our time, energy, attention, and affection to things that, whether or not they are good, are not God. Here’s where we see the related word “idolatry” at work in us.

Probably the most common use of this word in our daily lives is in the term frequently used to spend time alone with God. “Did you have your devotions today?” “What have you been learning through that new devotional book I gave you?” “During your devotions, will you pray for me to get rid of this cold?” The question God started asking me today is “How many of these adjectives and related words describe your time with me?” Are my “devotions” more important than my comfort? Do they come before my empty stomach, my growing to-do list, or my excitement to find out what happens at the end of the novel I’m reading? Are they full of love, worship, and affection, or are they cold and business-like? If my husband set aside time “to be with me,” but we sat on opposite sides of the table and talked only of scheduling, household tasks, financial goals, and the weather, I would not feel loved or important to him. When I have devotions, am I dedicated and committed to the task at hand, or am I easily distracted, failing to focus on what God is saying? Do I honor God’s direction to communicate with him often, or do I fail to be loyal and committed to our relationship, allowing communication to grow sparse and shallow?

Of all of the things in my life to which I must be devoted, God has convicted me for not making my time with Him the first priority. Our Father is more worthy to receive such unguarded and unfettered affection than any other person or thing in my life, and I want my time with Him to reflect the picture painted by the word “devotion.”