The right devotion perspective of the Christians

“It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows” (Proverbs 20:15).

                In order for us as Christians to live right in the eyes of God, we must have a right devotion perspective.

                Look at Proverbs 20:25 – “It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.”  Who do you think of in the Bible when you think about a person who made a vow in prayer?  I think of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1.  As we already know, “Hanna” was a woman whose womb the Lord closed (1 Sam. 1:5-6) who offered a vow to God.  Look at 1 Samuel 1:10-11: “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.  And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”  God remembered Hannah, who had made the vow to God (v. 19), and she conceived and gave birth to a son named Samuel (v. 20).  Hannah, after weaning the baby Samuel as she had made the vow to God, actually took him to the house of the Lord (v. 24) and gave the child to God for the rest of his life (v. 28).  Listen to what she said to the priest Eli: “…  As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.  I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.”  Hannah gave her precious son Samuel to God.  This is the dedication that we should learn.  Another good example of dedication comes out in the Jesus’ story in the New Testament.  It is none other than the story of a woman named Mary who poured “a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume” on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair (Jn. 12:3).  Here, the woman “Mary” is not the mother of Jesus, but the younger sister of Lazarus who died and was raised again and of Martha.  She was the woman who broke the jar of perfume and poured the perfume on the head and the feet of Jesus who came to Bethany before going to Jerusalem.  “But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages’” (vv. 4-5). He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief.  As keeper of the money bag, Judah Iscariot used to help himself to what was put into it (v. 6).  When we think of these words, we may think that there are devotees like Mary in the church and thieves like Judas Iscariot.  When I think of these two groups of people, I think there are people in the church who have the right devotion and the wrong devotion.

                Let’s think about who are the Christians who have the wrong perspective of devotion in three ways:

                First, the Christians who have the wrong perspective of devotion devote their lips only.

                Honestly, how many people in the church are dedicated to the Lord by word only and serve the Lord's church only by word?  They are just talkative.  They talk about serving but they have no action.  These devotees who serve the Lord’s church with only their mouth never benefit the church.  Rather, it is more likely them to cause problems in the church.

Second, the Christians who have the wrong perspective of devotion are coveted people in their hearts.

There are people within the church who not only talk about serving but also actually serving the Lord’s church but with impure motives.  These are those who serve the church with covetousness in their hearts.  There is danger for these devotees to harm the church.

Third, the Christians who have the wrong perspective of devotion are those who are rashly devoted to God.

Look at Proverbs 20:25 – “It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.”  Here, dedicate something rashly refers to a person who vows to give something to God and thinks again.  And the rash devotee says: “My vow was a mistake” (Eccl. 5:6).  For example, you dedicated your life to God when you received the word of God and His grace at the revival meeting.  But after the revival meeting, you don’t keep your vow to God because when you think about it again, you cannot dedicate your life to Him.  Look at Deuteronomy 23:21-23: “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.  But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.  Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.”  Look at Numbers 30:2 – “When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

Then who are the Christians who have the right perspective of devotion?

First, the Christians who have the right perspective of devotion are the ones who faithfully fulfills their vows to God and don’t think twice.

Second, the Christians who have the right perspective of devotion are the ones who devote to God joyfully.

Look at Psalms 110:3 – “Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.”  The Christians who have the right perspective of devotion are willing to devote themselves and their hearts are honest.  This is because they know that God searches their hearts and delights in honesty.  Look at 1 Chronicles 29:17 – “Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.”

Third, the Christians who have the right perspective of devotion humbly offer what they have to God.

Look at 1 Chronicles 29:14 – “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.” 

We should not be devoted to God rashly.  We should not dedicate ourselves to God with impure motives.  And we should not dedicate ourselves to God only in words.  Rather, we must keep our vows carefully to God.  And we should devote to God humbly and joyfully.