Better Men than me

Consecration is the act whereby we regard a common thing as sacred because we see God’s purpose in the design. – Ronnie Stevens

As I was listening to Ronnie preaching on Sunday I got a bit stuck at the beginning of his sermon. Not like the video he was trying to use, but hung up on his first point, well, really a sub-point. “Suffering was consecrated as God’s instrument.” Two people came to my mind immediately: Gabe DeGarmeaux and Jordan Williams.

Gabe is helping start Scarlet City Church in Columbus. His almost three year old son, Deacon died last week in a car accident. I can’t imagine the pain. All I’ve heard from Gabe has embodied Ronnie’s point.

Jordan is a Wheaton College student I met through my son, Tim. Jordan was recently diagnosed with AML, a form of Leukemia. As I’ve followed Jordan’s path through the hospital stays and chemotherapy I’ve been impressed with how he has (without explicitly stating it) pointed me to this same idea.

Both of these men have seen the hand of God in their life in ways that are painful, pain that I can only imagine, and I believe that they have ‘consecrated the suffering.’ 

Here are some of my notes from what Ronnie was preaching:

The suffering in my life:

-highlights my dependence on God

-enhances my credibility with others

-deepens my fellowship with Christ

-makes me become more like Jesus

-gives me opportunity to thank God

Here was my application for my life:

Take every ‘common thing’ (every common event, like getting up in the morning, like seeing, or eating)  in my life and consecrate it, set it apart to God’s purpose even if I can’t see the immediate reason.

I’m guessing I won’t do this well, but that’s the direction I want to head.