A listener shares with us their story of spending decades in several different churches while working at being dedicated and committed to the cause. Over time, they began to struggle with depression, anxiety, guilt and shame. If it seems like there is something wrong with this picture, it's because there is ... and unfortunately, it's all too common. But we have some encouragement for those who feel trapped.
People do not have a devotion problem. We all are devoted to things in our lives. The problem lies in what we are devoted to. Many times, we will be devoted to things that cause us pain and misery, yet it has become a comfortable thing in our lives so therefore we will not change.
As Christians, we often like to describe ourselves as followers and disciples of Jesus. But is this really how we are identified in Him? Did Jesus really encourage people to follow him as a disciple or was He attempting to show that nobody could successfully accomplish this? Jesus carefully described the list of rigid requirements needed to be like Him in order to be His disciple. He cautioned those people under the law to carefully count the cost in order to help them realize they would not be able to pay the price that would be needed. Thankfully, our faithfulness to God is not what is on display, but it was God's love and dedication towards us that would be the centerpiece of the gospel.