Completely His

    According to Oswald Chambers, “The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.” This statement brings to mind an idea that has had a tremendous impact on me. Although I have forgotten the source, the truth of the thought has nevertheless stayed with me. “What you do WITH Jesus is more important than what you do FOR Jesus.”

    Speaking from personal experience, the temptation to validate my faith to myself and others by serving God through activities such as volunteering in the church nursery is alluring. The problem with this devotion through service is that it doesn’t require me to actually invest any time interacting with Him one-on-one. Lasting devotion takes root in a heart continually soaked in His presence. When I’ve taken that time to sit down and ask the Father what is on His heart concerning me, my soul feels so much more alive and fulfilled than when I simply make service projects another thing to squeeze into my overwhelming schedule.

    Please don’t misunderstand my heart in this. I’m not saying that the Christian faith is best lived out holed up in a room constantly talking to God or that works of service have no place in the life of a Follower of Christ.  I’m proposing that when service for God takes precedence over time with God, a key element of true devotion is lost.

   To be completely honest, since coming to JBU, I’ve really struggled to find those precious moments where it’s just Him and me, alone. I’ve been so consumed with absorbing truth about Him that I haven’t set aside time to be with Him. I haven’t yet answered His call to come, rest in His presence and be completely His.

Questions:

1.      As JBU students and more specifically, Honors students, we are under a significant amount of pressure to excel not only in our schoolwork, but also in life. In his book “Rising to the Call,” Os Guinness quotes Walker Percy, “You can get all A’s and still flunk life. (p. 5)” What are some practical ways that we can balance getting all A’s while answering God’s call to fellowship with Him?

2.      Os Guinness defines “calling” as “… the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service. (p.10)” Do you agree with his definition? Would you add anything to it?