Partially Consecrated

“Make them holy--consecrated--with the truth.” (John 17:17 MSG)

In John, chapter 17, Jesus prays for His followers. He asks that we may not be defined by the world’s standards but by our dedication and devotion to God, that we may be protected from evil, and that we may be truth-consecrated in our mission.

Consecration literally means ‘associated with the sacred.’  How many of us are fully consecrated to Sacred Truth? Unfortunately, I have a hard time committing myself fully to any one thing. How can I, when there are so many interesting and important things in this world to occupy my day? I am partially dedicated to a lot of different things. My ideas about what is important are colored by the culture I live in. I align myself to warped versions of the truth, because the full truth might topple the framework of my long-held beliefs.

Yet, this is what Jesus wants--that we may disassociate from worldly standards and half-truths (which are basically half-lies) in order to associate with Sacred Truth. We may verbally dedicate ourselves, our children, our buildings, and our work to God. However, consecration is beyond human power. As followers of Christ, we can detach from conventional paradigms and redirect our time and energy toward that which is sacred. Only the Holy Spirit can elevate these meager offerings and sanctify us. May we be set apart, just as Christ set himself apart.

Lord, please help us to let go of worldly ideas so that we may be fully consecrated by Your Spirit and dedicated to a higher purpose!