Consecration Not Intimidation

Consecration (def) - the act of dedicating something or someone to a sacred purpose, which can involve a formal religious ceremony to make it holy or set apart. To be or not to be, in this case, is not for a Shakespearean play, but for a sacred commitment to serve Jesus as He calls us to a higher calling. To be called is one part of the whole thing, and that is important and cannot be taken lightly because of the requirements of such a calling. A person will direct their life path into the call itself, and it will affect life, family, friends, and lifestyle. That is just the way it is. In our present world, there are those who speak of being called, but is that a calling from God or man? A man called an individual will accept a calling like a "job," and in that calling, there is much more worldliness in attitude than spirituality. A God called person will take the call of God very seriously and follow that call through thick and thin, and in my case, there was more thin than thick, but I kept going because the God who called me also empowered me for the path He called me to follow.

Paul wrote to those who were called in the church in Philippi and told them to be bold in their calling and not be timid or intimidated. The God who called them and consecrated them for service will not allow them to be intimidated by a worldly influence that does not even understand the calling they have on their life. This personal calling is not to be intimidated by a lack of wealth or position, but to follow Jesus wherever He calls us to go and go. Philippians 1: ²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. ²⁸ Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.²⁹ For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. ³⁰ We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

If not for this personal call by God, we might be intimidated by the pressures of this world and fall away, but the Holy Spirit is evident and present in the midst of the call. I would have liked to build a life in my hometown and work to gain more money and position, but in my personal calling, God did not see that as the priority, and so I followed Him. The kicker in the whole thing is that no one could see what I saw in my calling to service. Only God, who called me, and that is ok. It has been my desire to turn the light on in other believers' lives to step into a deeper walk with God, and I continue to be driven by that part of my calling. My consecrated life call protected me and lined me up to be an encourager, find the greatness in others, and send them out. Paul wrote this further in the book of Philippians to emphasize the need to be sent out and the guidance to do the sending. Philippians 2: Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,^[e] just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

God may be calling you to this life call that is consecrated by God, and if He is calling, make sure it is God calling, and not just a vocational call. If it is God calling, the world cannot intimidate you and keep you from shining like a light in the darkness, because the consecration of the call is God-centered and God controlled, and nothing can stop our God. Jeremiah had it right when he said the following words about the God he served. Jeremiah 32:¹⁷ “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! ¹⁸ You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹⁹ You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve. ²⁰ You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt—things still remembered to this day! And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name famous to this day.

God is still consecrating and calling those whom He loves and never falls away from Him. He is calling you

because you cannot be intimidated by the world anymore.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren