The Glories of AltarsShembull

Consecrate

con·se·crate |ˈkänsəˌkrāt | verb

—to formally set apart, dedicate, or devote to God

To consecrate means to set apart as holy to God. At this altar we present our lives, our beloved children, our legacy, our time, our wealth, our possessions—indeed, anything that God is calling us to make wholly His.

There was a specific moment when I gave my whole life to God in exchange for His Life. With confident faith, my husband and I solemnly consecrated each of our children to Him. These solemn consecrations were presented to Jesus both privately and publicly.

I also remember the moment I sat midway up the unfinished staircase of my partially built new home and consecrated it for holy hospitality. There was a specific time when my husband and I consecrated our land to the advancement of God’s Kingdom. Walking the parameter, we prayed at each corner, burying handwritten Scriptures in the center of the acreage. My husband even remembers the moment he gave each of his cars to Jesus and thereafter considered them the Lord’s. In each case we wanted to formally say to God: You gave us this extravagant gift, and we now give it back to you to use as You will for Your glory.

This altar is based in an overflow of thanksgiving. When God bestows a beautiful gift, we can either ignore the Giver without a backward glance, half-heartedly render a portion to God, or consecrate the gift back to Him, appealing to Him to use it beyond our power to bless. We must count the cost: what is consecrated to God is no longer ours. Yes, He may leave these treasures in our possession, but we are only stewarding what really belongs to Him. The most joyful, most valuable consecrations are those that personally cost the most to offer Him.

Let Us Consecrate

• Meditate on the magnitude of God’s kindnesses and smother Him with thanksgiving. In a broad sense, submit your finite desires for all you possess to God’s higher, holy purposes.
• Consecrating your life: Dwight L. Moody once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” This is the pledge of those who devote themselves exclusively to God’s purposes. If this is your desire, fully submit your whole life—all that is past and all to come—to God’s purpose and glory. Then stand ready to obey Him.
• Consecrating a child: As an act of faith, formally set aside as holy, the raising of this child and his or her whole life, with thanksgiving. Ask God to provide His wisdom and power to raise this child in accordance with His will. Ask Him to use this child’s life for the advancement of His Kingdom. The exact words of this consecration can be written to share with the child as he or she grows.
• Consecrating your home: Considering the kindness of God to provide a private, safe space for you and your family to be sheltered and nurtured together, consecrate your home to God, asking Him to fill it with His presence and use it for ministry to your family and hospitality to others as He desires.
• Consecrating a portion of your income: As the Lord directs, cheerfully give a portion of your earnings to God.
• A possession: With trust in His character, give God what is precious to you for His higher use. Sometimes the possession remains in your hands and is used to serve people as part of your stewardship of it. In others, the possession is deeded into the ownership of someone else.
• Consecrating a portion of time: As the Lord leads, set aside a portion of time to seek God or serve his people in His name.