Devotion: The Response of the Bride
- Serge Da Rosa
- Sep 13
- 4 min read
We do not talk much about devotion in our circles. Perhaps it’s because the word often carries baggage. For many, devotion is tangled up with striving, with human effort, with a religious checklist that leads to guilt or condemnation when we fall short. And so, in an attempt to protect people from that performance-driven mindset, we have often avoided the subject altogether.
Yet devotion is at the very heart of marriage. No marriage thrives without it. Devotion is not a cold duty but a warm response of the heart. It is the glue of intimacy, the joyful yes to the covenant of love. And if marriage is the image Scripture gives us of our relationship with Christ, then devotion is not something we can ignore, it is essential.
Relational, Not Transactional
The problem is not with devotion itself, but with where we begin. Many of us started on the wrong foot. We began engaging with God from a place of fear; fear of hell, fear of punishment, fear of God’s rejection. But fear can never sustain true devotion. Fear may bring temporary compliance, but it can never produce love.
If I were to gather a group of men and speak about being devoted to their wives, not one of them would interpret that as striving, guilt, or condemnation. Why? Because we understand that marriage devotion is not about pressure, it is about love. A husband does not wake up thinking, I must check off my list today so I don’t get punished. Instead, love stirs his heart to lean in, to be faithful, to give himself freely. Devotion should flow naturally out of intimacy.
So it is with Christ. He does not demand our devotion. He does not put His people under the whip of religious obligation. Instead, His goodness, His kindness, His grace; these draw us into devotion. Paul writes, “The goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). John reminds us, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Devotion is never a demand. It is always a response.
Not a Demand, But a Response
God does not stand over us with crossed arms, pointing out at our lack of faithfulness. His anger does not flare up when our devotion wavers. He is not keeping a record of our failures and shortcomings. Instead, He keeps pouring out love, mercy, and grace, knowing that only love awakens love.
This is liberating: the pressure is off. You are free to draw near without fear. You are free to love without compulsion. You are free to devote yourself without the heavy mandate of religious striving.
When devotion feels heavy, when it feels like work, when it feels like obligation, it is often a sign that we have lost sight of where we are rooted. Instead of condemning ourselves, we can pause and ask: Why does my heart feel cold? What lies am I believing about God? The solution is not to double down in effort but to draw close again to the One who loves unconditionally. He is always near, always pouring grace, always inviting us back into intimacy.
A Two-Way Devotion
The wonder of the gospel is that devotion is never one-sided. Christ is utterly devoted to us. He pursued us first. He loved us when we were at our worst.
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself.” (John 12:32)
“Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her… and present the church to Himself in splendor.” (Ephesians 5:25–27)
“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
His devotion is the foundation of ours. We respond as the Bride:
“The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)
This is the two-way devotion of marriage. We see it in the Song of Songs: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3). We see it in God’s promise: “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people”. In other words: “I am yours and you are mine” (2 Corinthians 6:16).
Marriage vows capture this reality. Devotion is not one-sided. It is a covenantal exchange of love, loyalty, and union. Two become one.
Conclusion: The Response of the Bride
Devotion is not about striving, not about guilt, not about religious obligation. It is not a demand, it is a response. It flows from knowing that Christ first loved us, pursued us, and gave Himself fully for us.
And now, as His Bride, we return devotion for devotion. We give ourselves freely, not under pressure, but in love. We draw close, not in fear, but in intimacy. We live not from control, but from mercy.
This is the beauty of the gospel marriage: the Bridegroom loves, and the Bride responds. And in that sacred exchange, devotion becomes not a burden, but the joyful heartbeat of union.
So remove the pressure and enjoy the free and healthy union we have in Christ.
Get The Book: "The New Creation"
By Serge Da Rosa
About the Author
Serge Da Rosa is co-founder of Urban Eden Community, a ministry dedicated to helping people discover their God-given identity and walk in the freedom of the new creation. Alongside his wife, Kristy, Serge facilitates weekly gatherings in Tulsa, Oklahoma that center around authentic connection, growth, and kingdom expression outside the walls of traditional religious systems.
Serge’s passion is to see people awakened to their union with God. Through weekly community gatherings, work in addiction recovery, community events, writing, teaching, and the Kings And Priests Podcast, he speaks into themes of identity, grace, purpose, kingdom and governance with clarity, depth, and hope.
Whether through a conversation, a gathering, or a written word, Serge’s message remains the same: You are in perfect union with God, empowered with God's Kingdom.
Comments