Christian devotion is a good thing.
There are occasions, however, when we need to be careful.
Christian devotion can get reckless. This is mainly when people of faith let their mouths run away with their thoughts.
If you do a Bible word search for “mouth” you’ll find at least 370 verses.
Let’s look at Ecclesiastes:
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in Heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 (ESV)
There is much to be said about silence, patience, and sober thinking in the Bible. The wisdom books like Psalms and Proverbs are treasure troves on these subjects.
The Bible’s focus on the “mouth” conveys God’s concern for how our mindset affects our actions. If you claim Christ as your savior then you should not be running your mouth with rash words.
This includes when we are being (or attempting to be) devotional to God.
Compare the hasty heart and rash mouth of the preceding verse with James:
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1:19 (NKJV)
And righteousness is the core of our Christian devotion when we speak of God’s grace and glory. We give Him praise and thanksgiving because we speak to Him with a sober mind and glad heart.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary nails it:
The presence of the Almighty is no place for precipitate or compulsive talking.
So what is reckless Christian devotion? (Perhaps the term itself is an oxymoron, but I digress.)
Let’s look at Jephthah of Judges 11.
God chose Jephthah as a Judge for Israel. The Scripture is clear that the Spirit of the Lord came upon this man. Like the other Judges selected before him, Jephthah could count on the Lord to do great work through him and save Israel.
So, what did Jephthah do?
He promised God that if He helped him defeat his enemies that he would sacrifice the first living thing that came out of the door of his own house as a burnt offering when he returned in victory.
How devotional, right?
Jephthah won the battle and then went home.
The first living thing that came out of the door of his house was…
His daughter.
Not only that, but his daughter was his only child.
Once you make a promise to the Lord you must keep it. (Numbers 30:2.)
There are two schools of thought on whether Jephthah actually sacrificed his own daughter.
The first is that he did what he promised God he would do. Ouch.
The second is that he essentially gave her to the Lord’s service as a virgin. She would never marry. Almost like being a nun. Per the Levitical rules, human sacrifice was forbidden. Read Judges 11:37 and onward and you’ll see.
The Bible is silent as to whether Jephthah had other children. The question I have is whether Jephthah’s family lineage died with him and his daughter.
But either way, OOPSIE-DAISY!
Reckless devotion can get you in trouble even if you are vested with the Holy Spirit.
Maybe knock off those prayers where you ask God to smite the person that cut you off on the freeway. This speaks of a hasty heart and rash mouth.
Speaking of which, always watch your mouth.
Like I said earlier, Christian devotion is a good thing, but don’t let your passions betray you.
When you step before the Throne of God, you best step correct.
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