The Art of Decision Making: How to Devote Yourself to God

Discover the path to a richer, more purposeful life as you live devoted to Jesus.

Part 4: How to Devote Yourself to God

Have you ever felt disappointed with your life? I have often thought I should be further along in my goals, have more money, work a different job, or be in a better circumstance overall.

Pastor Chris, I still feel empty even though I’ve gotten what I thought I wanted on many occasions. Life seems to be passing by, and I’m standing still. I wonder, “Is this all there is?” and “Is there something more?”

Spoiler alert - there is so much more!

Today, our focus is on How to Devote Yourself to God. This is a big part of The Art of Decision Making because the closer we are to God, the better our decisions will be.

In this series, we’ve discussed the advantages of pre-deciding to make godly decisions and that the quality of our decisions greatly determines our direction in life.

We can pre-decide that when faced with a decision, we already know and will do what we’ve pre-decided to do.

As a man of God, I can decide that:

1. I am ready

2. I am consistent

3. I am devoted

4. I am generous

5. I am faithful

6. I am a finisher

Jesus said:

Matthew 6:33 (ESV): “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

What does it mean to be devoted to Jesus?

We can see what the disciples did after Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven.

Acts 2:42–43 (ESV): “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

The word devoted in this verse was written in Greek, and the meaning is translated as “imperfect tense.” Meaning, they weren’t perfect. It was an ongoing process. You could say they were continually devoted.

In today’s culture, many are devoted to themselves and pursue a self-centered life of comfort and ease. We justify our behavior by saying, I want to be liked, comfortable, popular, famous, finish school, love my job, get married, have a nice house, travel, and much more.

I’m guilty of this. Instead of making coffee at home, I consider purchasing it before my next meeting. The reality is that I could make time to make a coffee at home, put it in a tumbler, and save that $8 or $9. Yes, Washington State coffee is expensive, I know. Oftentimes, I lose the battle with my flesh and buy the coffee on the way. It’s a slippery slope when I’m tired and needing a pick-me-up. Pulling up to my favorite coffee stand (and I have a few) is so convenient.

The problem is that this habit is not conducive to my financial goals for my family. At the end of the week, there’s less money to do other important things. I’ve learned that I must pre-decide and then prepare to make my coffee if I want to succeed in this area. Thankfully, I’m getting much better at this. You can also experience victory in this area by pre-deciding based on your values.

But Pastor Chris, that’s not me!

I certainly hope not, but let’s get some perspective.

Each week of your life is 168 hours. Think about how much you devote to different activities. For most of us, one-third of our time is spent sleeping, and another third is spent working or in school. That leaves 56 hours. Many people spend as many as 17 hours a week on social media. That leaves 39 hours. Once you add commuting, chores, working out, driving the kids to soccer, helping your kids with their homework, etc. There’s not much time left for God. He might get an hour, and many people count church as that hour.

You won't improve significantly if you only invest one hour per week. You can't expect peak health if you spend one hour per week exercising. If you spend one hour per week with your spouse, you won’t have a dream marriage. If you study for one hour per week, you won’t graduate at the top of your class - even if you’re lucky.

If we are only partially devoted to God, it’s no wonder:

• We fall back into the same old sin

• We rarely share our faith

• We care more about what people think

• We find ourselves lukewarm in passion for the things of God

It won't happen accidentally if we want to live a life full of devotion to Jesus. We must pre-decide and live with an ongoing, single-minded pursuit of Jesus.

John 15:5 (ESV): “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus is the vine. You are a branch.

When you are connected to Jesus, you will bear fruit. We’re talking about the fruit of the spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Before, our lives felt empty, but when we devote ourselves to Jesus, we’ll start to live a full life and focus on what matters.

Let’s get a game plan prepared to seek God by:

• Pre-deciding a time - Before the kids get up, when you grab a coffee, before the gym.

• Pre-deciding a place - In the car, your comfy chair, the back porch, the bathroom (hey parents, we see you!).

• Pre-deciding a plan - Make a prayer list, worship, listen to a podcast, journal.

You get 168 hours this week. Spend time talking to God, listening to God, and aligning your heart to what lasts. When you seek Jesus first, something happens that changes your heart and desires. You will hear from Him as He directs your steps and speaks to you in His word.

Make sure God doesn’t get what’s left over. Make God a part of your life today.

As a Pastor, I’ve prayed with many people facing terrible life circumstances. When the doctor tells you to get your affairs in order, you look at your life and think about what you wish you had done.

I had the privilege of visiting my grandmother in the hospital before she died. They weren’t allowing more than one person in the hospital, and my cousin was there being her advocate. Being a Pastor has certain privileges, I guess. The backstory is that I had just met this grandmother a few years prior. Through many difficult situations beyond my control, I didn’t get the chance to meet her. Now I’m standing at her bedside talking about memories, people I’d never met, regrets, and praying with her.

Seeing her gave me a sense of urgency. It prompted me to look at my life and what I believe. We’re not promised tomorrow. We must devote ourselves to what matters.

Remember, the moment you start, you’ll encounter resistance, distractions, and reasons to quit. Pre-decide to be devoted to Jesus. He is the vine. You are the branch. Be a branch! Seek first the one who matters most.

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