This is from a teaching series Dr. Aikens did entitle “Decisively Dedicated.” The first post is a look at “Dedicated, “committed, not just submitted.”
When our perspective towards our calling or purpose is “it’s just what I do,” then veracity and excellence will not be what we strive to attain because we are settling for so much less, for God and from God.
And if we don’t change our attitude, we will become ambivalent and indecisive about a need to invest ourselves to reach our maximum potential within that calling or purpose. And that is a problem.
Ambivalence
Ambivalence is when we have opposing attitudes, values, or thoughts coexisting in us at the same time. Ambivalence is being uncertain or indecisive as to which course to follow.
As an attitude, ambivalence will hinder the preparation for excellence in our calling or purpose. This lack of directed desire will not only affect the capacity to gain the wisdom needed for excellence it will also diminish our ability to recognize what is pertinent and necessary in other areas of our lives.
Beloved, be not deceived; being ambivalent towards God’s design for our lives will have rippling effects in our physical, mental, financial, and relational areas of life. We can not isolate our ambivalence to one place; it will spread throughout.
But the good news is that we can choose to turn away from the destructive mindset of ambivalence. As with all iniquity, we can decisively turn away from ourselves and our rights, repent and receive the grace to step into the heart of “dedication.”
When we truly become dedicated, we will begin to commit, not just submit to the will of God. Eventually, we will desire to do nothing less than giving ourselves over to our purpose, agreeing in our heart to complete the desired actions that God speaks to us, and with great affection.
Commit verses to submit is important to understand. In Latin, commit means “to hand over into custody.” In Middle English, submit means to “put out for consideration.” When we choose to dedicate ourselves to the will of God for our life, we must be committed and hand all over to His custody. Glory!
Psalm 37:5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
Dedication
Dedication is a firm stance that requires the laying down of much of what we want for the fullness of what we are committed to. Such as we need to be toward our purpose in God. The word dedication is rooted in three words; care, devoted, and consecrated. When we analyze dedication, it is not easy, and it will require ongoing difficult decisions, but one of the reasons we do dedicate ourselves is that it will lead us to be pleasing to God.
Therefore, dedication is also an act of renewal that says we made a quality decision and are resolved to turn and now set our minds and aim our desires towards consecrating ourselves for whatever higher good or purpose God reveals and sets before us. Amen, and so be it.
“Decisive Dedication”
Decisive dedication takes all we have learned about resolving to be pleasing to God to the highest degree. It implies we have arrived at a place where we have absolutely no hesitation and no doubt left within us as we exercise our power and ability to decide for ourselves. Decisive dedication then also implies we have become so focused and resolved that we choose to give our all, even in our seeking to be pleasing to God. That choice then is not based upon pure emotion or zeal. It is rooted in our eternal yes to God and our deep desire to be pleasing to Him.
Decisive dedication is a choice we make, having reached the point of the agreement produced by a made-up spiritual mind that refuses to let anything or anyone turn us aside from following and doing what pleases God.
Decisive dedication makes us impatient with anything that even hints of compromise. Such determination tends to make us unreceptive when we perceive negative input or resistance is present. All we want to do when we are decisively dedicated is to keep our eye on the prize. This is because we desire to remain focused, aimed, and unwilling to give in or be redirect by corruptive influences as we go on in our quest to please God and do what He sets before us.
Philippians 3:14 I press (committed) toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Mark 12:30 is a clear explanation of how we are to be decisively dedicated to God. As you read it, take each part slowly and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the power of living out this scripture.
Mark 12:30
And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment.
Matthew 22:37 says this way
Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
These scriptures are the foundation of us choosing to be decisively dedicated to God. Let us not be committed with all heart, all our soul, and all of our minds to anything or anyone except God.
We end this post on being Committed versus Submitted through being Decisively Dedicated with Joshua 24: 15 that asks each of us that question. Selah!
The next part of this series is “The Danger of Mindless Dedication.” Look for it in your email, and it will be coming soon.
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