Dedication to God requires an unwavering commitment, placing Him above all else in our lives. When Jesus called His disciples by the Sea of Galilee, they left everything—family, business, and possessions—to follow Him without hesitation, demonstrating the immediate and total dedication expected of a true follower. This act of leaving all behind shows that following Him must take precedence over personal comforts and worldly concerns. God often keeps us unaware of the full extent of sacrifices and challenges we will face in our journey of faith. He mercifully shields us from knowing every trial, understanding that if we saw the complete cost upfront, many might turn away. This gentle guidance allows us to grow in dedication gradually, trusting Him to lead us through hardships as they come. He tests us to reveal our character and commitment, desiring to see if we will remain steadfast under pressure. Our dedication must prioritize God above physical comforts, societal obligations, and even family ties. Jesus challenged a scribe who wished to follow Him by highlighting the harsh realities of discipleship, asking if he was willing to forgo a stable home and comforts for a life of uncertainty. To another who sought to bury his father, Jesus emphasized that proclaiming the Kingdom of God must come before worldly duties, teaching that our primary responsibility is to Him. A third man, wanting to bid farewell to his family, was warned that such attachments could distract from full devotion, as Jesus taught that loving Him must surpass even the deepest familial bonds. Jesus illustrated true dedication with the metaphor of plowing a straight row, urging us to keep our focus fixed on the goal of God's Kingdom without allowing distractions to pull us away. He reinforced this in His teachings, using the image of a single, focused eye to signify that clarity and dedication to Him bring spiritual health, while a divided focus leads to failure. Our calling as disciples, chosen by God and Christ, is to bear fruit, which requires shedding distractions and human tendencies that hinder our commitment, keeping our minds steadfastly on Him and the Kingdom.

There is a character quality essential for continuing service to God, often overlooked or undervalued. This quality, devoted dedication to a cause, is vital for living by faith and requires vision, understanding, courage, and humility. For Christians, the cause is God's cause, and Jesus admonishes in Luke 14 that commitment to Him must take precedence over all else in life. Jeremiah 35 illustrates dedication through the Rechabites, a Jewish clan who fled to Jerusalem during Nebuchadnezzar's advance. In a meeting at the temple, Jeremiah offered their leader wine, which he refused, citing a 200-year-old family command from Jonadab, son of Rechab. Though not commanded by God, their loyalty to family stood as a contrast to the Jews' lack of dedication to God. Consequently, God pronounced judgment on the Jews but promised that Rechab's family line would never die out. Luke 2 provides examples of dedication with Simeon, a just and devout man awaiting Israel's consolation. His dedication was rewarded with the revelation that he would not die until seeing the Christ. Similarly, Anna, at 84 years old, dedicated herself to serving God with fasting and prayers, night and day at the temple, after only seven years of marriage. God asks for dedication to Him and His way, a commitment that mirrors the profound examples of loyalty and service seen in these accounts.

God demands a higher standard of purity from His church compared to the ancient Israelites, who often engaged in warfare. As members of God's church, we are called to trust in divine protection and adhere to a spiritual standard that rejects violence, even in self-defense, to the extent of avoiding homicide. God's way of life is founded on love, making military service, bearing arms, and killing contrary to the principles of true dedication to Him. Obedience to God must take precedence over compliance with human government, especially when secular laws conflict with His statutes. Dedication to God requires unwavering faith, loyalty, and zealous devotion, demonstrated through humble submission and adherence to His Word. God Himself promises to fight the battles of those who obey and trust in Him, rendering war and killing unnecessary for any people or nation under His government. Purity in service to God is our duty, keeping ourselves unspotted from the violence and warring attitudes of the world, as we commit to the way of peace.