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What influences you? What do you find inspiring? With all of the information and muses in the world, we often find ourselves pulled in many different consumption directions. Between social media and television, we're overly consuming massive volumes of information. While some of the information is helpful, the vast majority of the information we consume has become spiritually detrimental. We receive advice everywhere, jumping from guru to guru, motivational speaker to motivational speaker, celebrity pastor to celebrity pastor, and trend to trend.
I once heard someone say they gave up on God because they used to pray, and it seemed God never answered their prayers. So, the person went to a belief system that "worked" for them and reflected their "truth." Sound familiar? These are some of the buzzwords that we constantly hear today. There seems to be a misconception about God's role in our lives because our expectations of Him have been swayed by the many other voices and ideologies vying for our attention.
Things like "The Secret" or "The Law of Attraction" are great at convincing people that we don't necessarily need God because we have the power to manifest our reality. Imagine holding a belief that says I can create whatever I want within my power. Now, compare that to a belief system that says, “my life is not my own, my life belongs to God, and I desire His will for my life, even if it's different from my own.” And while, scripturally, the reality is that not everyone will give their life to Christ, the issue is those professed believers who find themselves entangled in a mixture of a little of Christ, and a little of this, and a little of that; the lukewarm believer. This believer still loves all of the world's pleasures and is willing to compromise their faith if their pleasures conflict with scripture.
The compromise may seem great and beneficial until it isn't. That's the place where compromising believers find themselves stuck. When things are no longer great, they begin to pray because they need God to get them unstuck. They desire the quick relief of God, so they treat Him as a genie, and when God doesn't instantly rush to their rescue like Abu of Aladdin, they feel forsaken. Some people stay in this cycle for most, if not all, of their lives, while others either leave the faith completely or commit to the faith completely.
Committing to your faith completely is the surest way to experience the fullness of God. A term that we don't hear much about today, but has the potential to change our lives, is consecration. Consecrating is when we separate ourselves from the unclean, unholy, and profane; consecration is a sacred and holy act or way of living. Consecration is where the desires of the world meet the will of God in our lives; which will you choose?
Five Benefits of Consecration
Consecration reduces negative and unsafe influences.
This happens because you're not being continuously bombarded with information for other people while consecrated. You're allowed to sit, pray, meditate, read your Bible, and begin to think, discern, and understand for yourself without the verbal manipulation of others. I remember taking a three-month break from social media, and I noticed that the level of anxiety and feelings of depression that attempted to arise before the break almost completely went away. The onslaught of information, constantly being bombarded and stimulated by opinions and updates, can take a toll on us spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and ultimately physically. Consecration is a time to separate from these things and get more acquainted with God and ourselves.
Consecration makes the voice of God more clear to us.
Often, it's not that God isn't speaking; it's that we're too busy, too consumed, and occupied to take the time to listen and hear what He is saying to us. Remember in 1 Kings 19:11-12, when Elijah went to the mountain to stand before the Lord. A strong wind, earthquake, and fire came, but God was not in any of those; finally, there was a still, small voice. With the hustle and bustle of life and so many voices speaking, it's not easy to try to hear God's voice in the wind, earthquake, and fire; those things will drown out the still, small voice that speaks to us.
Consecration allows you to better understand God's will for YOUR life.
Once you can hear the voice of God more clearly, you can begin to understand what He's trying to relay to you and where He's leading you. I've worked within the Criminal Justice field for almost twenty years and met more aspiring rappers than any other ambition. Among the many aspiring rappers I've interacted with, it wasn't so much about talent but their desire to become a great name with the fame and riches of their idols that they see on television. I remember asking a young man, what if rapping doesn't work out for you? Unfortunately, he had no backup plan and never considered a backup plan. What if God's will for your life would lead you down an opposite direction than what you've purposed in your heart? While the ultimate decision would be your own, at least in consecration, you could get clarity on God's desires for you.
Consecration helps you to align better with the will of God.
If you become the person who begins to hear and understand God and decide that you don't mind abandoning your desires for His will, once you start to follow the will and purpose that God has for you, you are in alignment with God. The beautiful thing about being in alignment with your God-given purpose and will for your life is that you will begin to see the promises of scripture align in your life as well. Scriptures like Proverbs 18:16, "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men," begin to become a reality for you. There's safety and reassurance in being aligned with God.
Consecration creates a habit of discipline.
I was reading "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, and he talks about the 10,000-hour rule. This rule says it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to reach an expert level. The takeaway here is that regular practice is the key to improvement. Consecration as a way of life can be adopted by using this idea, but a change in your lifestyle won't happen overnight. You will have to have consistency, even when you don't want to. A lack of discipline and structure can lead to swift failures, but a disciplined person can accomplish many things. The discipline you develop in consecration will reflect in all areas of your life.
Reflection
As we navigate the tumultuous seas of life, let us take a moment to reflect on the power of consecration. In these moments of stillness, away from the noise and distractions, we find clarity, purpose, and peace. Let us embrace the practice of consecration, not as a burden, but as a gift—a sacred journey that brings us closer to God and closer to our true selves. Amidst a world clamoring for our attention, may we find solace in the whispers of His voice, guiding us forward. So, I encourage you to create moments of consecration in your life, for it is in these moments that you will find the strength to navigate the storms and the courage to walk confidently in His light.