Your Daily Crossroad
Step Away and Pray
Devotion vs. Commitment
There is a sharp difference between devotion and commitment. To commit means to pledge, and thereby binding oneself to a word. To devote means to freely give of ones time to a specific cause. Where I would normally say commitment, I have recently transformed my vocabulary to saying devotion.
You see, commitment is good. It is good to say, “I will do it for you,” because it holds the promise and gives assurance to the person or cause you wish to commit to. Yet, commitment is by word and word alone, while devotion is about doing. As men, we should talk the talk AND walk the walk.
In the parable, the first son showed more devotion to His father than His brother. Even though he disrespected his father in speech, he still honored him by going to the vineyard afterward. How many times have you committed to a cause with such burning passion, and then somewhere along the line, things get complicated–and by complicated I mean excuses get the upper hand, your fire runs out or you just grow weary. The book of James advises us to be doers of the Word, and not hearers alone.
Let me tell you this: There can be times the people you devote to, will not even notice what you do. Can you imagine how God must feel? This can be applied to all areas of our lives because devotion is one of the greatest acts of love, and mysteriously, people can overlook it–but not the Lord.
Regardless, be devoted to your wife, be devoted to your family, your friends, your work and above all of this be devoted to your God. Why? Because the Father is utterly and totally devoted to you. He says, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). He also says He shall work a work in your day (Habakkuk 1:5). Just think of all the provision He makes for you on a daily basis. So devote yourself each day anew to God’s will for your life, and you shall inherit His kingdom.
Father God, your devotion to me has gripped my heart. Please forgive me for straying from Your perfect will, and thank you for loving me even through my stumbling. Lord Jesus, please help me when I grow weary, and remind me that the reward in You is greater than any Earthly joy. Father, grant me the wisdom to discern where my devotion should rest, for Your word says where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. I will devote myself to You anew. Holy Spirit move within me, and may the glory of the Kingdom rise and spread to every person who comes into contact with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
When I came across this devotion I had been thinking about the importance of commitment and how it not only impacts you but it also impacts those around you, your spouse, your children, your friends, your work, your church family, the list goes on and the list may be different for each person, but when I read this devotion I never thought about commitment vs devotion. I pray this devotion challenges you today to not only talk the talk but also walk the walk. Be devoted, starting now, why, because the Father is utterly and totally devoted to you.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Romans 12:4-5
Don’t Give Up!
How Do I Choose?
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it . . . (Revelation 3:8)
Life is full of tough decisions.
How do I know if he/she is “the one”? Which college should I go to? What should I major in? Which job should I take? Which church should we attend? Should I change careers? Now that the kids are grown, should we downsize? Is now the right time to retire?
People hate making decisions. Mostly because we’re terrified of making the wrong one.
Choosing thrills us. Choosing scares us. Choosing comes from the core of who we are. When we truly choose, we have no one to blame and nowhere to hide. And that can be downright terrifying.
My wife and I were at a restaurant once, and the waiter responded to every choice we made by saying, “Brilliant,” “Perfect” or “Excellent decision.” This happened so steadily throughout the meal that I finally asked him if he ever told anyone they made a lousy choice. He told us that the restaurant managers had discovered diners are so afraid of choosing the wrong thing, they actually print a list of “affirmation words” that the wait staff is required to say in response to everyone’s order.
Think about that. Even a question as simple as, “Soup or salad?” renders us so vulnerable that restaurants have to turn their wait staff into therapists!
In a way, we do the same thing with God. Terrified of making a bad decision, we lay all of our choices at God’s feet and ask Him, “What is Your will for my life?”
But, what if God’s will for us is that we develop the wisdom and discernment to make our own decisions in light of His Word, and the faith and confidence to know He will be there guiding us regardless of which path we choose?
Doesn’t that sound freeing?
God wants us to learn how to choose well. That may be why, when we look at the Bible, there is no chapter devoted to ’How to know God’s will for your life.” Paul doesn’t write about “6 Steps to Determine If He’s the One” or “5 Ways to Discern God’s Best Career Path for You.”
What we do see are statements like this: “ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Or “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).
So the next time you face a difficult decision, instead of asking God what His will is for your life, begin by asking for wisdom. And don’t live in fear of making the wrong decision. Even if you walk through the wrong door, as long as you walk through it with the right heart, God’s will will be done.
Remember, God’s will for your life is not about whom, or if, you should marry, which job you should accept, or which neighborhood you should live in. God’s will for your life is that you become a magnificent person in His image, somebody with the character of Jesus. And nothing can stand in the way of that.
Dear God, we know that You are the God of the open door. Every moment of every day is an opportunity for us to grow and serve and make a positive impact on others. Because of Your love, we don’t have to be afraid of failure, nor do we have to live under the tyranny of always making the perfect choice. We pray You will give us the courage and wisdom to walk through whatever doors You open before us. And we pray that through our actions, Your will will be done. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When I read this devotion I had to take a moment and ponder on what I had read. So often we do ask God what His will is for our lives and we stop there, stagnant, fearful, uncertain, waiting for what we think might be His response, when in all reality like today’s devotion says, “what if God’s will for us is that we develop the wisdom and discernment to make our own decisions in light of His Word, and the faith and confidence to know He will be there guiding us”. I think so often we get so overwhelmed with self condemnation that we forget as today’s devotion says, “God’s will for your life is that you become a magnificent person in His image, somebody with the character of Jesus, and as long as you seek His Word and trust Him to be there guiding you, nothing can stand in the way of that.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Philippians 4:19