Personal Consecration

Often God will blend what I am learning in Bible study, sermons, and Sunday school lessons with what He is saying to me in my QT. God wants to get His point across and He wants us to hear it and assimilate it into our lives; so He repeats it over and over again. During my recent “retreat” God showed me the two areas in my life that I have lost control in; or rather where I have been drowning in self-defeat. I knew since the beginning of the year that there was something hindering me from climbing higher but could not put my finger on it. I continued to seek and finally I have seen the light.

1 Cor. 6:12 ‘All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. “

I like the way another translation puts it, “…All things are permissible for me, but all things are not beneficial...” The one word for “brought under the power’ is exousiazo and it means “to be ruled by or be under the power of, to be in bondage to.” I have allowed myself to be ruled by these two areas I mentioned above. They control me instead of me being in control through the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. I have surrendered power to the enemy. The enemy can be my flesh, our world or Satan. Whichever the enemy is, they can only rule in a Believers life where we have invited them in. For me it is all about making the right choices; ruling over my responses, emotions, time, what is best instead of what I want….

Proverbs 25:28 “ Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.”

The word for wall is chowmah and it means “a wall of protection.”

Walls were for protection from the enemy. Walls are for my protection. Self-control is my wall of protection. Self-control is the ability to make choices, the right choices at the right time. As I make the right choices I then invite the Holy Spirit to rule and have authority over me. I am surrendering to my power to Him. Any area in my life where I am consistently out-of-control is an open invitation for the enemy to rob me, defeat me and break me down. No more! I want to live in victory.

Today is day one of 40. I have committed to consecrate myself for this period of time wholly to the Lord that I might learn self-control specifically in these two areas. Wow, now I have gone and done it. I know I need accountability. I know that I must seek Him first and daily receive His grace that is sufficient for each day. One day at a time I will find victory.