Dr. Ashley Miller Anderson
“Consecration - the act of consecrating; dedication to the service and worship of God.”
In my Bible studies over the past couple of weeks, I kept coming upon the concept of consecration. I’ll be honest and say that although I have often heard of places and things being consecrated in a holy way, I have never considered the concept of consecration as it relates to a person.
To me this means a whole, complete, and total surrender to God-no matter what. It means that if God wakes you up in the middle of the night with the burning conviction to do something, you do it-no questions asked. It means that even when you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, even when your heart is breaking, your mind is weak, or your body is shaking in fear, you say, “Yes Lord. I trust you.” Whew!
I don’t know about you but I toss a lot of questions at God sometimes. I’m a planner, and I like to always know the strategy of my next step before I even lift my foot from the ground. It’s a characteristic that’s served me well in my career, but I can imagine God on the throne of glory giving me the holy side eye!
Joshua 3:4 says, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” We have to consecrate first, give ourselves totally, and surrender to His will. That means in the midst of whatever storm you are in, you stop fighting the waves. Instead, you lift your eyes to the heavens and raise your hands saying, “Lord, I trust you, and I surrender to you. Use me and this situation for the uplifting of your kingdom. Allow me to be who and what I need to be for YOUR will to be done.”
How does that feel to you? To me, it’s liberating and life changing. It releases me from the shackles of anxiety and grips of depression. It allows me to be present and have peace. It lifts my spirit and allows me to show restraint when I would otherwise be losing my mind.
Consecration. The same verb that allowed Mary to say, “I am the Lord’s servant...May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38 NIV). It’s the same verb that allowed Abraham to go forward even when he had no idea where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). It’s the same verb, or action word, that must supersede our earthly desires and guide us daily. It’s a daily practice that reveals God's promises, but we must take the first step in faith.
Don’t allow what you don’t know, what you can’t see, or what you’re afraid to do, stop you from doing what God is calling you to do. Trust and believe that if we give more of ourselves to Him, He will honor our step of faith and give more of Himself to us. He always keeps His promises. Consecrate.