I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:35
What or who are you devoted to?
Devoted / devotion is a Latin based ‘old’ world word. The word used in scriptural Bible translations is usually a combination of Hebrew words then translated to one word .. devoted / devotion. The same principle happens in the Greek. It isn’t easily translated from a single word like many other words.
Basically it is the concept of a … wholly and completely loyal heart stayed, constantly focused, and steadfast, persevering and enduring, prevailing over anything that comes to split the heart of the individual. They are many adjectives in this concept of .. devotion. But it isn’t a word used much in our language today as it has a ‘religious’ connotation to it.
I think devotion is in modern culture … but it is rare (IMHO) in the modern American church community. Often human devotion is to many other things than to Christ. Why? Comfort does not breed devotion. Comfort doesn’t hone or refine or test the limits of anything. Devotion takes time to seep into every crevice of the heart and soul of an individual. I see many individuals devoted to many other causes as they have made it their ‘life’s’ work / crusade. There are many human devotees in the ‘fallen’s’ side / enemies of God.
Where are the devoted on God’s side? Do we now measure devotion by our Sunday morning ‘service’ attendance? Or by other religious rituals or traditions we preform? How do we measure our devotion to our spouse or family or friends? How do we really measure our devotion in our relationship with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? What is the level of your own devotion to God / and the Holy Spirit? How do you think God measures our devotion to Him?
In a time where the person is so inundated with voices, frequencies, and powers pulling at them to ‘be’ a part of the next ‘vision’, movement, community, and the next created alternate ‘world’, there are LOTS and lots of choices presented. So many use coercion, marketing, fear, lust, and even threats to try to get a person to go in the direction they want … and unless that person is .. devoted.. (undivided) they will cave into the pressures.
Again, I am very aware of the vital need of an individual who wants to follow Christ to be fully immersed in the Holy Spirit and to develop that relationship to the deepest level possible. To actually become … fully devoted to Him.
I am also pondering my own devotion to my wife, family, and friends. There will be questions I will be asking of Him on this topic.
Is your devotion important to you? To what degree? What is challenging your current devotion? Who is challenging you to go deeper in your devotion?