devotion verses duty

There is so much that God has been teaching me lately.

I've wanted to put it all down here for a while, but some of it just needs to be done when I have time to really think, ponder and clearly express myself.

Having rainy day after rainy day with the kids - not in school - has not provided much opportunity.

Tonight is really my first chance.

Being that I am pooped out, I'll start with a little bitty thought.

But be warned, however.  As little bitty as it is, it is pretty darn big.

If you stop to really think about it and look at your life and your heart, it ain't so little bitty any more!

I have had the incredible blessing, since January, to be part of a bible study with some spectacular women.

While I felt like I had to beg and plead to be part of this group (not that they come across as elitist - they just already had their thing going), I am so glad I did (I just hope they are glad too!!).

(I stole these pictures off of their blogs... very sneaky and extremely high tech of me)

We meet every two weeks and are studying women in the bible.

The last time we met we studied Mary Magdalene. 

At the time, I didn't make the connection with it being the Easter season and us studying Mary.  Much of  where Mary shows up is at the death and resurrection of Christ.

Katie, who led this study, focussed on the difference between duty and devotion.

Mary Magdalene served Christ out of devotion.  

Someone who serves out of duty isn't jumping up at the crack of dawn to serve someone who is already dead (although boy was she surprised when she got there!).  

Everything we read about her shows her devotion again and again.

Go ahead and look for yourself.  I don't think you'll find one teeny tiny bit of a duty-driven woman.

That is how I want to live.

All too often I know that I am serving Christ out of duty.

Why would I do that?

Why would I spend time serving Him because I felt like I had to?

That is not what He wants.

It isn't what He deserves.

And it sure isn't what He does.

If I really think, really spend time realizing who He is, what He has done and what His reasons were/are there is no way I could continue in choosing to live a life of duty.

Duty equals drudgery.

Devotion equals passion.