Devoted

One dictionary defines the word devotion as, "ardent, often selfless affection and dedication, as to a person or principle."  Another affiliates the word with Love.

I have used the word for over a year now to define the whole of my theological position.  If we truly believe that Yeshua is the messiah (and He IS), then we have been called to live our lives for God.  But, there is a problem.

How often have we each tried to earnestly serve God?  Is it possible that the very act of trying is failure?

I have not fully developed the concept in my own mind, but I think I may have stumbled onto something I need to explore much more.  The whole process of failure, salvation, and "sanctification" is played out in our minds.  By the time that battle is manifested with physical action...the event has already taken place.

It is often hard to make up your mind to do something and then follow through with it.  Certainly the short-term consequences are different.  (Where short-term refers to the fullness of our lives from birth to physical death.)  Thinking an impure thought is obviously not the same thing as committing an unlawful act. Yet Yeshua describes plainly how thry are both sin, and the former is just as great a crime as the latter.

Then what is most important to us in our relationship with God is the reconcilliation of our selves to God's self.  That sounds weird, but I' trying to avoid the implication that a physical effort is required.  The Bible teaches that physical effort, regardless of how well intended or executed, is simply a dead end. 
I don't even think a good argument could be made for faith + works.  Works are a symptom of reconcilliation...not an ingediant in the formula.

So, what then.  What am I saying?

Devotion.  It is a spiritual response to an overwhelming force.  That overwhelming force is the ridiculously undeserved, but unrelenting Love of our creator God.  There is only One, and he insists on demonstrating his crazy love for us over, and over, and over again.  There has never been a person that could out run Him.