Fully Devoted: An Introductionනියැදිය

What Is a Fully Devoted Follower of Christ?

A fully devoted follower of Christ is a student of Jesus. It’s someone who loves God with all that they are—heart, soul, mind, and strength—and loves others the same way Jesus loves us.

Loving God with all our heart means desiring God over the things of this world.

Loving God with all our soul means trusting God more than we trust ourselves.

Loving God with all our mind means knowing God personally, intimately, and deeply.

Loving God with all our strength means serving God with our very best.

Loving others the same way Jesus loves us means loving sacrificially, selflessly, and unconditionally. The most perfect picture of Jesus’ love is His voluntary death on a Roman cross for the sake of the world. He sacrificed Himself for the good of others when we didn’t deserve it. And it’s a beautiful picture of how we’ve been called to love others.

Becoming fully devoted doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time as we commit ourselves to the ways and words of Jesus in every moment of every day. This journey has traditionally been called discipleship.

What is discipleship?

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus so we can love God and love others the same way Jesus does.

Discipleship is a process because it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens one decision and one day at a time.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus. He’s the one we’re following. He’s the one we are giving our attention to—our Savior King who changes everything! And what we give our attention to ultimately shapes who we become. As we follow Jesus, we become less of who we used to be and more of who we’re meant to be. Our hearts are renovated, our minds are renewed, and our entire lives are transformed by the Spirit of the living God.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus so we can love God. We have been created by God for the purpose of loving Him with all that we are. The kind of love God is looking for goes so far beyond simply believing He’s real or thinking nice things about Him. It’s devoting our entire lives to loving and serving Him—which isn’t actually something we can do on our own. We need help.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus so we can love God and love others. The greatest demonstration of our love for God is the way we love other people. When we choose to sacrifice ourselves for the good of those made in God’s image, we are choosing to show honor to the God whose image we’re made in.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus so we can love God and love others the same way Jesus does. Discipleship begins and ends with Jesus. He’s the author and finisher of our faith. What does this mean? It means discipleship isn’t about collecting a bunch of Bible facts or impressing people with how “holy” we are. It’s meant to shape us into people who live and love like Jesus does.

None of this happens by accident. It’s something we decide to engage in.

Remember, this is a journey of becoming fully devoted. We’ve overlaid this journey with the story of Scripture because we believe that’s actually the purpose for which the Bible was written—it’s a story that leads us to Jesus and teaches us to live like Him. Every command in the Old Testament connects us to God’s heart. Every prophecy and promise points to the person and work of Jesus. Jesus’ life teaches us what it actually means to be human. His death and resurrection changes everything about our past, present, and future. The New Testament letters apply Jesus’ teaching to different people, in different contexts, at different places, and in different times to help us actually live the kind of life Jesus died for us to have. And the Book of Revelation reminds us of the hope of New Creation—when God will dwell among us—and inspires resilience in our discipleship to Jesus.

It’s all about Jesus. With His Spirit as our guide and the Scriptures as our roadmap, let’s commit to becoming more fully devoted.

Journaling Questions

• Write down the memory verse for this week in your journal. What do you think those words would have meant to the original audience? How do they impact your life today?
• How committed are you to this journey of becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ? Are there things holding you back from being all in?
• Rate yourself on a scale of 1–10: How much do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Why did you give yourself that rating? How can you move your rating closer to 10?

Memory Verse

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NIV