devotion

Devotion. This word keeps showing up all around me. Artists have been singing about it for years and many religions ask that you devote your life to God. So, what exactly does devotion mean to me in my life? How is it a call to action? Let’s break it down. . .

We could start with something as simple as song lyrics from Mumford and Sons, “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.” In my opinion, that is the most basic definition of devotion. Where are you putting your time, your energy, your love, your light? That is where your devotion lies.

Now if we go to the Bible (Acts) and take the organized religion out of it, devotion is composed of four basic behaviors:

42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

-          Being devoted to the teaching of something. This means being a constant, life-long learner, and as we all know, there is an infinite supply of information out there. What we choose to spend our time on, what we choose to pursue in terms of learning and information will, without a doubt, inform our devotion.

-          Fellowship. I am consistently reminded that there is an energy and uplifting aspect that comes from time with like-minded people. I am particular about who I devote my time to in terms of fellowship. Being with like-minded people does not mean that I am not willing to hear other people’s perspective or opinion. What it does mean, is that I choose to surround myself with people who have a high vibration and are up to great things to serve others and the world.

-          When I take the “church” out of breaking bread, it holds a similar intention to the more traditional form of the expression. First, both creating and consuming meals with intention and love is an act of devotion for sure. Families for thousands of years have gathered around the making and consuming of food, it is a time of gratitude and fellowship.

-          If you read my last blog on faith, you already know my prayer philosophy. Prayer to me is a time of listening just as much as it is a time for speaking. Prayer devotion is creating time to give thanks and to listen for what there is to know and do.

When you put these four things together, they will likely make up most of your day. Now what you choose to learn, who you choose to spend time with, what you choose to eat, and if/how you pray is up to you. Myself, I ebb and flow. There are times when I am spot on with my devotional choices, I am making healthy food, investing in my personal development and education, taking time for the people that matter . . . and sometimes I eat total crap and binge watch nonsense on Netflix. What I am certain of, is when I devote myself to intentional choices I feel one thousand times better. Both physically and mentally.

Devotion is repeated behaviors, a development of intentional habits. There are many ways to decide how your time will be spent. I often do core value work to make sure my daily behaviors are hitting the mark when it comes to how I spend my time. It is also a great practice to notice when you feel like you have infinite energy, when you have been at something for hours and it feels like minutes. This is an indication that these are great devotional choices.

I encourage you to spend some time looking at where you are devoting your time and energy, make it intentional. Create what you choose to create and live with intention. And if this all seems like a bit much to tackle on your own, shoot me a message, I’d love to help you get started.