A Journey of Moments (Consecration18 Devotion #1)

Ephesians 1:12
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

A new year is upon us, and with it comes all the trappings of such an event. In the coming days and weeks, there will be many diets started, many habits temporarily laid aside, many life changes attempted. However, many diets will be abandoned, many habits will be picked back up, and many who have made life changes will revert to their former way of living.  In fact, many will find themselves in a worse place than before they attempted change. Why? And, how do we avoid such derailment, particularly as we enter into Consecration 18.

Perhaps a lesson from my childhood will help. When I was a boy, my father gave me many work assignments. Among them were things like mowing, tilling, and laying out rows in my grandparents’ garden. All of these tasks had one thing in common. In order to lay a straight row, mow a straight line, or even plow/till straight, you have to keep your eye on a goal, a mark at the end of the yard or garden. Of course, you can’t just keep your eye on the mark at the end or you may find yourself drifting, creating gaps in your work. Thus, in order to do a thorough job, I had to find a balance between keeping my eye on the mark at the end, and watching my work step by step. Only then could I be sure that I would have work that was both aligned with the overall goal, and was also complete in the moment.

In that may be the answer to moving through our month of consecration, or any other goal. You must keep your eye on the goal. For this week, that goal is seizing each moment or “taking the time” for God’s glory. However, in order to achieve that goal, you must be careful not to look from the front of the week and attempt to assess how the week is going to play out in your mind, planning from there. No, in order to make the most of this week of intentionality about time, you must take the week not as a whole, but in parts. Days are even too large of increments. Rather, focus on the immediate goal of existing for God’s glory with each new activity or communication that you begin throughout the day. Then, choose to be intentional about each decision you make regarding what activities you will participate in, and about how much time you will give to each. Moment by moment, “take the time”. Remember, consecration is a constant journey of moments.

Let your prayer today be that God speaks to you in each moment about how you can best bring Him glory in the use of your time.

(As a side note, I would suggest keeping a journal of each day of your journey through the entire month of January. You could even keep a few notes from each day on your phone. Whatever the mode, you will find recording your thoughts, struggles, breakthroughs, and revelations will make Consecration 18 all the more fulfilling.)