Friday, September 13, 2013

Devotion

They devoted themselves (a continual persistent commitment) to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Acts 2:42

Malcom Gladwell in his wildly successful book, Outliers, states clearly that, from a human perspective, success is no fluke but comes through devotion.
“Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good. In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours. Achievement is talent plus preparation. ”
What Gladwell couldn’t articulate is the Bible’s overwhelming theology showing the power of devotion. Is it not mysterious the role we play in partnering with God to carve out a life of significance?  Mystery notwithstanding, what God makes crystal clear throughout His word is that He is devoted to us and that we have a degree of responsibility for the lives we live and the significance we make.
 
One sees the results of devotion when reading Acts 2:42.  The early church’s devotion fueled their impact!  Verse 47 states that God was adding to their number daily! Look with me at 3 biblical ramifications of devotion:
  • Devotion determines your future: Galatians 6:7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. The reality is that the small areas of devotion that fill my day create the trajectory for the type of person I am becoming.  Put another way, there is a direct correlation between the seeds of devotion I plant and the crop of character I yield.
  • Devotion determines the quality of your life: Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  I shared on Sunday some of the challenges currently in my life and how committing my first waking minutes to Bible reading, prayer and meditation, provides the power and creates a lens for me through which approach each day.  Circumstances may or may not change as a result of that daily investment, but my perspective does. I love better, believe greater, and think eternally thanks to being devoted to seeking first His kingdom.
  • Devotion determines your legacy: 2 Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.  I wonder if Lois and Eunice knew that their devotion to God would have a hand in producing the premier pastor of the New Testament?  I don’t wonder if either one, knowing what they know now from the perspective of eternity, would regret every decision they made that fueled their devotion to God.  
Here’s the bottom line: We only get 25,550 days on average to take up space on this planet--why not make them count?  Why not align our devotion towards what would best grow our character and impact this world and eternity?
 
I look forward to being together again this weekend.  So many have asked me about the anthem we introduced in all three gatherings called, “Build Your Kingdom Here.”  Here is a video link to that modern hymn.
 
I love being your pastor!