By Andrea Merrell
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,
penned Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
For too much of my life, I tried to love God by
counting all the things I thought He wanted me to do: go to church, tithe,
serve, share my faith, read my Bible, and worship Him.
While all these are noble—and needed—they cause us
to develop more of a work mentality than a grace mentality. We constantly feel
we need to do things for God, while He longs to do things for us.
That takes consecration. It’s a matter of submission. Of being sold out to God.
Of being all in.
Pastor and author Bob Gass puts it this way:
Consecration means
dethroning yourself and enthroning Jesus as Lord of your life. It’s the
complete divestiture of all self-interest. It’s giving God veto power. It’s
surrendering all of you to all of Him. It’s a simple recognition that every
second of your time, every ounce of your energy, and every penny of your money
is a gift from God and for God. Consecration is an ever-deepening love for
Jesus, a childlike trust in your heavenly Father, and a blind obedience to the
Holy Spirit.
When God says How do I love thee? He only
has to count one way—sending His Son to pay the price for our salvation. Our
redemption. Our eternal hope.
God wants all of us—spirit, soul, and body. In
light of His own sacrifice, that’s a very small price to pay.
Are you all in?
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