Before writing this I spoke to someone and said “ I have no idea what to write for my blog, I haven’t done very well this year with 40 Days of Devotion, I am just at my normal level of devotion.”
Having said this (and the person prayed for me for some inspiration from God) it bought 2 things to mind. First, “I haven’t done very well this year,” what does this mean? What does God make of that? Secondly, what IS my normal level of devotion?
I think what I meant by not having done very well this year is that I have not made any drastic changes, I have not started reading or studying scripture more, I have not started praying or fasting more. Life is busy and there are so many things fighting for my devotion. However, I can stand firm in the fact that, “it is by grace that I have been saved, through faith- and this is not from myself, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 paraphrased) This does not excuse me and I know that God wants all of me as a, “living sacrifice”, (Romans 12:1) and that, “faith by its self, if not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). But on the days that I think to myself that I have not done very well, or that I am not enough I can remember that, “His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 paraphrased).
devotion
[dɪˈvəʊʃ(ə)n]
NOUN
love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity.
Based on this definition I aim to be devoted to God in everything I do and to, “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This for me means starting each day thinking on God and continually throughout the day resting on His power in my life. To love God, to stay loyal to him in everything and have renewed enthusiasm for Him each morning and each evening. I want to live my life according to the first line of the Westminster Catechism, “Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
Ash Kauffman
