An Alphabet for Change: Observations on a Life TransformedSample

D - Devotion (dedication; commitment)

“A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.”

~ Proverbs 11:28 (MSG)

What do you find yourself dedicated to these days? Is it a certain number of weekly workouts or maybe a daily calorie number you’ve made a vow not to exceed? Whatever it is, we all make little commitments to ourselves and those around us each and every day. But these are goals, self-discipline exercises, or promises to ourselves and others. These are not things to which you are truly devoted. Devotion is something deeper.

Devotion is sold-out dedication. It’s over-the-top committed to a cause, a person, or even an object. And to me, devotion more closely resembles worship than many of the other synonyms because it involves the concept of adoration. People can be dedicated or committed to several different things, but devotion requires a singular focus.

Jesus points this out in Matthew 6 during his well-known Sermon on the Mount.

“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.”

~ Matthew 6:24 (MSG)

In this famous sermon, Jesus warns that you cannot have split loyalties. True devotion cannot be shared in equal parts with something else.

As you well know, this concept is not overly popular. We live in a world that tells us we can have it all and that it’s okay to pursue selfishness. I honestly think that’s why we don’t hear much talk about devotion these days. We may use the word, but not in its intended meaning.

If devotion can only be given a singular focus in your life, it makes sense that it should be bestowed on that which is most important. God is the only one worthy of our devotion and worship. According to Proverbs, devoting your life to things or causes, even if they are noble, is a dead life like a stump. But being devoted to God, that is like a flourishing tree.

What do you think of hearing the phrase “flourishing tree?” I imagine one that’s fully alive and growing, vibrantly green, and producing beautiful fruit. Now that sounds like something we all want for our lives! So...what does it look like? How can I know that my devotion is being directed toward God and not something else? I have found a couple of measurements or litmus tests that can be considered to help us determine where our devotion lies.

First, identify where you spend most of your time and resources. Where we spend our time, energy, and money can tell a great deal about what is most important to us. We may say that we are devoted to God, but if we’re not spending any of our time or resources advancing his Kingdom or growing closer to him personally, these are idle words.

Second, analyze your life’s fruit. We’ve already determined that a life devoted to God is a flourishing tree and that a flourishing tree produces fruit. So, what kind of fruit do you see being produced in your life? If our devotion is being directed toward God, the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) should be seen in our life and experienced in our interactions.

I believe the analogy of fruit Jesus used is particularly significant. You see, the fruit produced is not for the benefit of the tree or the plant but rather to nourish and bring joy to the people around the tree or plant. The fruit we produce in our lives should be evident to those around us. To see if our devotion is based on God’s example in Galatians, we must look to see how we’re flourishing.

Stepping Toward Transformation:

Where is your devotion? It’s so easy to get caught up in the rat race of this world. Before we know it, we dedicate most of our time to our job and the all-important dollar. Sometimes, our devotion is given to something noble and good, like a social justice issue. However, true devotion can only be afforded one single-minded concentration.

Take the time to perform a self-assessment regarding your time and resources. Where are you focusing much of your energy? Ask your closest friends what sort of fruit they see evident in your life. These can be tough exercises, but the results and responses can be very revealing. If we desire to flourish in this world and produce life-giving fruit for those around us, we must pursue and strengthen our devotion to God.