Now devote you heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God….

1 Chronicles 22:19

St. Francis of Assissi personified devotion. It is said that he did not love humanity but men, and he did not love Christianity but Jesus Christ. What does this mean? This means that St. Francis of Assissi did not fall in love with the church, but with Jesus Christ himself. For him this faith was not about religion, it was a love affair with a person,… Jesus.

How about you? Do you have a love affair with Jesus or have you fallen into the trap of religion with it’s set of rituals and traditions? Are you in love with your church, and your pastor or with Jesus? Would you be willing to worship him anywhere or do you feel he can only be found in your church? Sadly, it seems this is where many in the Church are today. We have mastered our rituals, our traditions and our liturgies but still hold a distorted stained-glass view of Jesus Christ. The religious spirit has a form of godliness, but denies God’s power (2 Timothy 3:5); it worships God with lips, but the heart is far from God (Matthew 15:8).

A love affair is characterized by passion, commitment, and longing for the other. Is this how you feel about Jesus? Are you passionate about him and do you pursue him endlessly? Are you committed to him, that you would follow him anywhere? Do you long for him and do you wait for him expectantly?

Dear Lord, release me from this stained-glass view of Jesus and teach me what it means to be wholly devoted to my Savior. Amen.