Week 1: DEVOTION
Definition: Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
Read: Matthew 22:37, Luke 16:13, 1 Corinthians 7:5, Colossians 3:17
In college, I lived in Orlando, FL. I had won really good tickets for me and a friend of mine to go to the Amway Center to watch the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs. I was so excited the night before that I could hardly sleep. I'm not even sure I ever did fall asleep. When it was time, I hopped out of bed, put on my Magic gear, and went to the office. All day, I was talking nonstop to everyone about how I was going to the game. Later that afternoon, I picked up my friend and we made our way to downtown Orlando. That night was incredible; the Magic made a comeback which started their long run to the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers.
I didn't get home until extremely late. I was very sneaky getting in. I didn’t want to startle my dog and wake my roommate. I remember lying there, and then suddenly my excitement turned into sadness. I was so excited about going to the game that I put God on the backburner. I didn't wake up early to do my daily devotional, and the only time I remembered praying was for Dwight Howard to have a fantastic game (which he did).
There are few things in my life I consider myself devoted to: God, my wife, my girls, family, ministry, and brownies. I would like to say I put God first every day, but the previous story proves otherwise. As much as I desire that to be the case, sometimes the craziness of life distracts me.
Jesus was not shy about his desire for you to be completely devoted to Him. He doesn't just desire you to hang out with Him whenever you can fit Him into your schedule. Jesus wants you to give everything you have to Him. He desires to be your No. 1. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus says, "Love the Lord with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind."
Wow! Is Jesus your No. 1? If not, how can you intentionally strive for that to be the case? First, you should know that it takes supreme devotion, just like any serious relationship in your life. Think about the most important relationship you have in your life right now. If you were not devoted to it, what would happen to the relationship? It wouldn't be as meaningful as it is. The value of that relationship is expressed by your devotion to it. When it comes to your relationship with Christ, giving a little and expecting a lot in return isn't going to amount to much. Real, meaningful relationships take two people who fully invest in growing it.
Take a few moments to answer the following questions. Remember, these questions are designed to challenge you and will do so only if you are completely honest with yourself.
Reflection
- How would you define your current devotion to Jesus?
- What is distracting you from being more devoted?
- How do you imagine your day would look if you lived it out entirely devoted to Jesus? How would it be different from any other?
There are many distractions in our culture, many things that pull you away from your relationship with Jesus. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in what's going on in the world that you forget what your real purpose is here. You are here to love, witness, and serve. To have a heart that demonstrates those qualities, you must first have a loving, transformative, and faithful relationship with Jesus.
The Challenge
- Spend your day/week with Jesus. Include Him in everything you do today/week. Act as if He were physically there beside you.
- Commit to completing this challenge for the next seven days. Life will get busy and the enemy will conjure up excuses in your mind to try to keep you from completing it. Commit to the end.
End of Week Reflection
- How did this challenge make you shine?
- What was the most difficult part of this challenge for you?
- What was the most rewarding part of this challenge for you?
- How do you feel this challenge grew your relationship with Jesus?
- How can you use what you learned through this challenge to shine daily?