A month ago my life was changed. On the weekend of the 6Th to 9th of August, I went to Campus Harvest, just to brief you about it; Campus Harvest is when 15 universities from all of over the Southern African Region get together for a weekend just to Worship and encounter God. This was the first time attending this camp and I must say it rocked my world.
The camp theme was “DEVOUT-RAGEOUS”, which means Outrageously Devoted to GOD. Well my expectations for Campus Harvest were different, one of them was going to the camp wanting to encounter God, and I did, but in a way that I didn’t expect. Prior to the camp I could sense that there was something different about this camp, the theme even grabbed my attention.
This blog is about being outrageously devoted to God. Often we say we are devoted to God, we say it every day to people around us. I think there is more to being outrageously devoted to God than we think or even say. I would like to share with you there way God showed me what it means to be “DEVOUT-RAGEOUS
Let’s take a look at scripture that will guide us.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any one desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24
(Darby Translation)
1) Deny himself
To be Outrageously Devoted to GOD, we have to deny ourselves. Just by following Christ we need to let go and leave our old ways of reasoning’s. Often people become Christians for “safeties sake” meaning we view Christianity as a way to get by and a ticket to heaven, I am not exempting myself I did it too. When we deny ourselves means that we fully rely on God, we no longer exist but Christ exists in us as it says in Galatians 2: 20 . “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”
2) Taking up our Cross and Follow him daily
“Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”
Luke 9:23 (NIV)
This has been a struggle for most us. I struggle everyday to take up my Cross and follow him. The main problem with taking up our cross daily is that we have made Christianity a culture rather than a life style. In order for the Cross not to be a “burden” we need to make it lifestyle. One of the things that also make it difficult for us to take up our cross is our feelings. Feelings should not govern when we should take up our cross and when we should not take up our cross. Our head Pastor said this once “You don’t have to wake up one morning and feel that you are your father’s son”, really we are Gods children and that has nothing to do with our feelings. To be truly devoted to God we need to take up our cross daily, we need to be devoted to it daily and not when we feel like it.
3) It’s not going to be convenient
I believe that the gospel is not convenient; God is not convenient. Being devoted to God means that you will have to do things that are not convenient for you to do. For example attending a prayer meeting at the same time you were going to watch a soccer match or your favourite soapie etc. We need to remember that it was not convenient for Christ to go tithe cross for our sins, he didn’t want to go to the cross (Luke22:44), but he did it to please God. Being devoted to God is not going to be convenient.
4) It not about you but for his Glory
“So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honour and glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
(Amplified Bible)
“LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws;
our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.”
Isaiah 26:8
NLT
Being Outrageously Devoted to GOD, means that in everything we do, it must bring God all the glory. It means that we need to do things for His glory. This has become my fundamental pillar, which in everything that I do it must be for his Glory. I know when you honour God with everything for his Glory he will reward you. We need to do things not for recognition or any special thanks, but for his glory and his glory alone. Being devoted to God, it must not for our gain but for his Glory and his Glory alone.
Next time when we say that we devoted to God we need to remember what it means to be devoted to God. With these few words I pray that God will reveal to you more than he has reveals to my life about being devoted to Him.
Feel free to comment below and feel free to even send us an email at usp.onge14@gmail. Please look out for a new page, I have asked a couple of guys to write their Campus Harvest encounter with God and we will be dedicating that page alone to that. We would like to extend our gratitude to Every Nation for organising Campus Harvest and may He continue to bless those guys.
Love you all
God Bless
The1 abt Team
