Have you ever considered that you can be a devotional? Preposterous?!!! Reconsider. What you do, what you say in your day can be or become a devotional – depends on your mindset, how you develop your relationship with the Lord. What does a devotional do? It inspires, it teaches, it helps us to understand, it helps us to be our best self. How we express this, how we go about handling the day’s challenges, threats, opportunities, disappointments, etc. speaks volumes and attests to our lives.
Webster states that the devotional was first used in 1659 and defines the word as: “a short worship service.”! Pathetic. That has to be the lamest definition I’ve read in some time. But there is, as much as it really says nothing, an element of providing a context – worship. Often I’ve seen the word, devoted, used to define an attitude of reverence toward (someone… thing?) and is seen in the behavior of the one displaying devotion. Point being that it is observable – visible. But really – what does it mean? And is it even relevant? Something we really can (should?) do? Relevant – absolutely!
I would propose that devotionals are designed to help us think about spiritual matters and how they affect who we are and what we do. But they are meant to help us to describe and define HOW we go about being and doing… us. The words cause us to assess, reassess, define who, what, how, and why. They also demonstrate interrelationships among words and concepts. Devotional is truly visible in our words and behaviors. And give us a standard against which we can assess our own standards. It is never placid or passive – it always allows us to grow to go beyond.
Expanding the word? I should hope so. I would so want my life to demonstrate those spiritual components that I’ve discovered and have continued to let grow and teach me how to be a Christian. Too often we ‘hide’ our Christianity under a basket (whether or not by design) for fear of??? being rejected? being misunderstood? being a hypocrite? being intolerant? And I’m certain there are other adjectives that can be used. Not the point. We are in this world to provide light. (Matthew 5:15, Luke 11:33)). Romans 1:16 reminds us of Paul’s comment that he wasn’t ashamed of the gospel. When we don’t live our Christianity… aren’t we saying we are ashamed? This should never be. We are His Ambassadors in a hurting and dying world.
