How many times have you used the word consecration in a sentence? Truly doubtful that I ever have, but it is a word that grabbed my attention this week as I read through Mark Batterson’s Not Safe. So, I responded in a typical fashion and searched my files to uncover whether or not it has appeared in any of my research, which of course, it has—but not a word that was highlighted or even any notes jotted to the side. Yet, it appears. Then, the far reaches of my brain recalls singing a hymn that uses the word consecrated—Baptist Hymnal #277 Take My Life and Let It Be “consecrated Lord, to Thee.” How frequently has the word slipped off my tongue without thought to the meaning behind it?
Batterson addresses consecration, this Once and For All concept, as he explains how our current culture seems to be accepting what he calls an inverted gospel, “a subtle form of selfishness that masquerades as spirituality, but it’s not Christ-centered. It’s me-centric… The reality is this: they have invited Jesus to follow them. They call Him Savior, but they’ve never surrendered to Him as Lord…I wanted Jesus to follow me, to serve my purposes, to do my will.” And so Batterson poses this question, “Are you following Jesus? Or have you inverted the gospel by inviting Jesus to follow you?” Stepped-On Toes right there! “We want to do amazing things for God. And that seems noble, but we’ve got it backward. God wants to do amazing things for us. That’s His job. Our job is consecration.”
“The word consecrate means to set yourself apart. Consecration demands full devotion [Once and For All]. It’s dethroning yourself and enthroning Jesus Christ. It’s giving God veto power. It’s surrendering your fear out of fear for Him. Consecration is an ever-deepening love for Jesus, a childlike trust in the heavenly Father, and a blind obedience to the Holy Spirit.” Whew! That sounds downright marvelous…until you realize that a Once-and-For-All blind obedience requires that you surrender everything to Him. Everything! Why is this so challenging? Why is it easier to try to Steal the Pen on issues, truth be told, on idols, that I allow to become more important than an ever-deepening love for Him? Am I the only one who seems to struggle to surrender daily, when my truest desire is to hand it over Once and For All?
If we search an online dictionary, Once and For All means “a settled matter, finally, permanently as in ‘we’ve settled that question Once and For All.’” So, if we return to the hymn’s lyrics from above, “Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord, to thee;” shouldn’t the matter be settled Once and For All? Our omniscient Creator already knows what is best for me, He’s proven it time and time again with Everyday Faithfulness, and yet for some reason, I seem to think, in my sinful selfishness, that perhaps He would do better to follow me? That’s not prideful at all! And yet, based on what I read and hear, others seem to struggle with this consecration thing like I do. Does anyone have a permanent solution to truly embrace a Once and For All attitude?
Conceivably, it is impossible in our human nature to surrender our issues/idols/kingdoms truly Once and For All. Perhaps, there is a need to daily submit and surrender to Him, and I know for me, the lyrics from one of my favorite artists/songwriter come to mind often and I sing them prayerfully to the One who willingly forgives me when I invert His gospel, perhaps, you will find them meaningful too.
“God I give You all I can today/These scattered ashes that I hid away/I lay them all at Your feet/From the corners of my deepest shame/The empty places where I’ve worn Your name/Show me the love I say I believe/Oh Help me to lay it down/Oh Lord I lay it down/Oh let this be where I die/My lord with thee crucified/Be lifted high as my Kingdom’s fall/Once and for all, once and for all.”
P.S. This post was written on a Friday, one of my devotionals contained this on Sunday:
“The act of consecration is the fresh act of dedicating yourself—or your home, a relationship, a job, your sexuality, whatever needs God’s grace—deliberately and intentionally to Jesus, bringing it fully into his kingdom and under his rule…The Scriptures respect the power of consecration. Anywhere and everywhere you want to experience the fullness of God’s protection and provision, the life and goodness of the kingdom of God, it will help you to consecrate whatever is in question” – John Eldredge
References:
Batterson, M. (2013). Not safe. Zondervan.
Havergal, F. R. (1991). Take my life and let it be [Song]. The Baptist Hymnal. Retrieved from https://hymnary.org/hymn/BH1991/277
Once and for all. (2022). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/once-and-for-all
Flourishing @ Life 