Dedicated To The Lord
Today we plan to examine what the Scriptures mean when it talks about dedication.
Introduction
When we speak of dedication, it often refers to an individual’s personal
choice.
We sometimes hear of something being dedicated.
Perhaps a church building.
Perhaps a person.
One misconception for people of the world is that they feel they can dedicate
their children to the Lord.
Hannah prayed fervently that she could have a child, and when she did, she brought
the child to Eli and said this child is dedicated to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:28).
Samuel spent his life trying to please God.
The problem is that today, such dedication is an exercise in futility.
For people have to make their own choice as to whether they will serve God or
not.
When the temple was completed under the leadership of Solomon, there was a great
ceremony to dedicate the temple (1 Kings 8).
On occasion we may hear of a sort of dedication taking place even today.
The idea behind a dedication is to advise the world that a facility was built
for the Lord and the purpose is to do what the Lord desires.
There is no authority for a building to be dedicated today.
The church is made up of the members and not the building.
Dedicating the members to the Lord is a different story.
The “Dedication” of the member takes place when they obey the Gospel
and make the commitment to be faithful to God from now on.
Of course, a broader application could be made if there is a specific purpose
for the building.
We have even heard of a highway being dedicated in an official ceremony.
If one was to look up in a dictionary the meaning of the word "dedication"
they would find this:
"the quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose".
What I really find intriguing are the synonyms that the dictionary offers.
These are supposed to help those trying to understand the meaning of the word
by offering a similar and familiar phrase that is already understood which helps
them learn very closely to what the word means.
Here are the synonyms offered by my dictionary:
commitment;
application;
diligence;
industry;
resolve;
enthusiasm;
zeal;
perseverance;
persistence;
tenacity;
drive;
staying power;
hard work;
effort;
devotion;
loyalty;
allegiance;
and adherence.
Every one of these words represents a character trait or an application.
Each of these words carries the idea that every effort is needed to serve God.
Every Christian has probably heard many times that these are the qualities we
should exhibit to the world and to each other.
These are the words that we try to impress upon each member the importance of
applying this to our lives.
This dedication seems to be a concept that many followers seem to have forgotten.
Most people serve God only as long as it is convenient or working towards their
own personal goals.
Often, God is forgotten and the focus becomes: "it is all about me".
It is much more than just saying: "I love Jesus".
The idea we are trying to teach is: "I love Jesus so much, that nothing will
keep me from loving and obeying Him".
There are passages throughout the New Testament that instruct us to apply these
things to our faith and daily walk.
Some of these instruct us how to walk before the Lord, and some offer the attitude
we should have when we walk before the Lord.
It would be a good idea if each and every one of us would evaluate our dedication
to the Lord.
We can ask ourselves questions, such as:
"Do I persevere in my service to God?";
"Do I demonstrate an excitement about my service to the Lord?"
"Will I stay committed until the end?".
Our list of questions can go on and on.
Conclusion
Throughout Bible history we have the record of those dedicated to the Lord.
The important question is:
"Will you be one of those people?"
Why not learn more about dedication and apply it to yourself.
After all, it is your choice to make.
By Carey Scott
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