Devotion

Conversations with Cinthia

Today's topic is devotion, devotions, and the interaction between the two. Devotion has to do with love, loyalty, enthusiasm for someone or something, faithfulness, fidelity, and even strong emotional attachment. It can also have to do with religious worship or observance. A devotion can be a quiet time spent praying, reading the Bible, reflecting, singing, journaling, or making time for something or someone to which or to whom you are devoted.
Devotion is not always intentional. We may find ourselves devoted to a variety of things, some of them dangerous, foolish, or simply not worthy of the level of devotion we give them. Cinthia reflected that, in the 1980's, she was devoted to Diet Pepsi and smoking; this was evidenced by the time, energy, resources, and obsession she put toward these things. She would not have called this "devotion" at the time, but that is what it was. Intentional devotion times can help us intentionally grow our devotion to the things to which we want to devote ourselves. Investing our time, energy, focus, and resources in something attaches us to that thing, and our decision to invest that way reveals our devotion. To what does your life show you are devoted? How much time and energy do you pour into that thing?
The things to which we devote ourselves control our lives, and once you devote to something, it is hard to undo it. We can experience chronic disappointment or discouragement, cynicism, a tendency to hurry through spiritual practices. Do you become unreasonably upset if you miss a workout? Do you find yourself more devoted to religion than to the God behind it?
If you want to practice spiritual devotions, be aware that there is no magic formula for making them feel rapturous all the time. Devotion means that we are practicing devoting ourselves, and this does not always feel like magic. But there is great power in the regular practice of ordinary devotions. The Holy Spirit gives us tiny tastes sometimes of what it will be like to connect with Him in eternity, and it leaves us longing for more. But the daily disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, courtesy to others, managing our own emotions, etc., do not always carry those same sense of spark. They are soul exercise, shaping our souls like physical exercise shapes our bodies. They increase strength and endurance. They force us to attend to things beyond our own distractions, self-indulgence, and unhealthy obsessions. They give God space in which to get through to us. Engaging with the Word of God is like fight training; the more time we spend with the Sword of the Spirit (i.e., His Word), the more skilled we will become as spiritual warriors.
In some ways this can be like marriage. When people first fall in love, devotion to one another may come easily. Being together feels like magic, like bliss, like experiencing ourselves and the world like we have always longed to experience those things, even if we never knew it. But, as time goes on, learning to spend ordinary, not-always-exciting life together involves discipline, and that discipline ultimately increases our capacity to delight in one another when the "fireworks" times appear. Cultivating the light in one another, intentionally pursuing one another throughout all kinds of life circumstances, increases our ability to experience the exciting parts of marriage at other times. Similarly, it's ok if there is often no special spark in your daily devotions, if they don't usually feel like magic. They still build who you are. So don't let them get crowded out or get apathetic and "whip through them."
Jesus wants us to see Him and savor Him. Only the eyes of faith can see Him. Faith is not blind, but unbelief is. Faith is seeing the reality that unbelieving eyes cannot see. The Bible says that faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Daily devotions train our faith eyes, and this is important in order for us to be able to see the glory of God in our world. They realign our thinking with His, sometimes very gradually.
Devotions actually help us to be more ourselves. As Cinthia explains, "I was God's idea," which means that she and we need to be in line with what He meant for each of us to be in order to fulfill the purposes for which he made us. Packer notes, "Our God is a God Who not only restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plans for us and brings good out of them." So, Cinthia explains, devotions are not just about dry religion or duty, even when they feel somewhat ordinary or dry. "It's about knowing the God Who created you and was excited about you when He did it," she says, "...the God that wants to come alongside you and help you be the best version of you so that you actually enjoy yourself as much as He enjoys you, and that you can find some power, you can find some comfort in being with yourself." Devotions increase our access to the bigger picture and our commitment to it.
For some, classic devotional books can really help by giving us a framework of beautiful truths to implant deeply in our hearts. Three of Cinthia's favorites are The Red Sea Rules, Jesus Calling, and Streams in the Desert. Cinthia closed today by sharing some insights from these books, including one from Psalm 77:19 and one from Exodus 14:1-2. She also shared one from I Kings 12:24, in which God states, "This thing is from Me." She read an excerpt about how this applies to our lives, too, since God often brings or allows things that do not make sense to us but always makes a way through them. From The Red Sea Rules, she shared these reflections on that passage: We keep our eyes on Christ, and He always makes a way. "Life's disappointments are veiled Love's appointments." "Grieve not for things you seemed to miss/ The thing I send is best for thee."
Sometimes we have to delight in cultivation. The more we seek after God, the more we know Him. Trusting God does not always feel good or logical, but the more we seek after Him, the more we know Him. God is a God Who does not lie. The one who seeks Him finds Him -- and finds God was seeking him or her first.
Devotions are a way to practice devoting ourselves, attaching ourselves, shaping ourselves, conforming ourselves to what we love. To what are you devoting yourself?