What do you imagine when you hear the word “devotion?” Do you think of a monk who has dedicated himself to a life separated from mainstream society? Maybe you envision someone who has taken a vow of poverty, thus resigning themselves to abstaining from the “finer things” this world has to offer. 

Devotion, in its simplest form, is that to which we whole-heartedly give ourselves and our resources. Hence, devotion finds itself commonly expressed in a variety of ways. The video gamer is devoted to hours on end of gaming with friends or maybe to becoming a master at gaming. The rapper is devoted to crafting the “dopest” lyrics and catchiest beats that may catapult his project to the top of the music charts. The athlete is devoted to performing on the field or on the court with a view towards becoming the G.O.A.T.

There are a variety of things to which we may devote ourselves; however, we would do well to be aware that God Himself is unequivocally devoted to something also. He’s devoted to forging the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the lives of everyone who calls upon His name. He has spared no expense in His endeavor—committing Himself, His Son and His Spirit to bringing about the realization of His intent. Indeed, our Creator is fully vested in this most holy endeavor (Col 1:21-29).

But what about you? To what do you find yourself devoted? Is it to knowing the latest stats and factoids regarding your favorite athlete or sports team? Maybe it’s to accumulating money and prestige by climbing the proverbial “corporate ladder.” Still maybe it’s to attaining status and notoriety in the eyes of others by acquiring another degree so that you can append an additional string of letters after your name.

None of these things are inherently sinister, but as with many other things that we find ourselves given to, they’re fleeting and at best temporal. Yet the Psalmist lets us in on a secret to having God fulfill His intent for our lives; that secret is our being devoted to revering Him (Ps 119:38, NKJV). It’s in our reverence of our Creator that we find ourselves wholly given to a cause and purpose that is truly worth living (yes even dying) for. When we are consumed by a passion for the One who formed and fashioned us, it’s then that we discover our identity—our reason for being. And I’d contend that one’s reason for being is a cause well worth one’s devotion.

“When we are consumed by a passion for the One who formed and fashioned us, it’s then that we discover our identity—our reason for being.”

You might ask, “What’s my reason for being? What’s my purpose in life?” It’s really not complicated, for one’s primary purpose is to know and be known by our Creator, thereby bringing Him glory (Jer 31:33-34; Ezek 36:26-27; Is 43.4-7). All other purposes must flow out of this primary purpose if they’re to be of any eternal significance. It’s to those things which are of eternal significance that we, as men created in His image, should and must be devoted.

So how does one determine to what he’s been devoted? Again, it’s pretty simple. To what or to whom do you find yourself giving the lion’s share of your affection, your assets and your attention? It doesn’t get much more complicated than this, for as stated earlier, devotion is simply that to which we whole-heartedly give ourselves and the resources entrusted to us by our Creator. It’s in our making the time to take this inventory that we do ourselves a service by assessing whether our devotion is of a temporal or of an eternal nature.

As men fashioned in our Creator’s image and likeness, let’s make sure that, like Him, we’re devoting ourselves to that which is of eternal significance and endurance. Let’s be devoted to Him.

Practical application: Take an inventory of the following areas.

1. To whom/what have you given your heart over the past 24 hours?
2. To whom/what have you given your time over the past week?
3. To whom/what have you given your money over the past month?