What is a consecrated life anyway? As I was praying about how to explore the Consecrated Life to you and your daughter, a simple song written by Frances R. Havergal entitled Take My Life kept repeating in my mind. The story that follows illustrates beautifully what a consecrated, devoted life is. Frances lived to only 46 years old but during her brief life, she managed to learn Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. She memorized the book of Isaiah, the Psalms, and most of the New Testament as well as authored 4 books. In 1873, six years before her death, Francis had a dramatic spiritual experience in which she realized the importance of complete surrender to God.
Soon after this event, she was visiting a home in which 10 people lived and several of them were unconverted, others were uncommitted Believers. Frances was staying in the home for several weeks, and she prayed “Lord, give me all this house.” Before her stay ended, all 10 members of the household had given their lives to the Lord completely. It was on the last night of her stay that Francis was so amazed and excited at what the Lord had done she could not sleep. These lyrics came pouring out of her that evening.
Take My Life
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
How about us, are we living a bold, surrendered life today? Do we take the ordinary and offer it up as a sacrifice of praise? Do we have the holy chutzpah, like Francis, to ask God for all in our household to be His? How do you explain this concept to your daughter?
While words and explanations are useful, some things are better caught than taught. Consecration is not just a one-time thing. It is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment attitude that breaths out of our hearts and flows through our actions. We can consecrate our lives, set it apart for the sacred, when we ask the Lord to make the day His, to make the hour His, and to make the minute His, to make our life His own. Every moment of ordinary life becomes holy.
Asking the Lord to take my momentary life and consecrate it to Him,
Activity
- As you consider your desire to commit yourself to God every day, I would like to suggest you begin each new day with a simple act of spiritual service. This spiritual service is saying out loud “Lord, I give you myself to you today!”
- Learn the words to Take My Life. May the words your prayer and affirmation of consecration.
Memory Verse
Romans 12:1
I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Ponder and Post
- Have you considered consecrating your life to the Lord? Tell me about it.
- Discuss the act of consecration with your daughter.