Devotion is a word we hear often. We hear it in love songs and in references to early morning times with the Lord. To be devoted is to be loyal and dedicated to some cause or to a person. Stories of devotion abound in our world. In The Return of the King, Samwise Gamgee sees the utter exhaustion of his friend, Frodo. They are at the foot of Mount Doom—so close to the end. Sam does not simply take the ring and finish the journey himself; he lifts his ring-bearing friend onto his shoulders and carries him up the mountain. He is devoted to the end. Films like Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart likewise portray devotion to a cause, where one is willing to risk his own life for the freedom of another. Devotion inspires heroic acts of courage in the face of looming threat. We love stories like these because we know how difficult devotion really is.
