How Far?

Consecrated.  

That's the word that seems to be at the front of my mind since I graduated from the Honor Academy almost a month ago.  That's the word that I want to describe me.

During the last month or two at the HA, we had to decide what our personal standards for our lives would be upon our graduation -- and with good reason.  For an entire year, we were given rules like no dating, no R-rated movies, no secular music, no drinking, no smoking, no immodest clothing, etc. We didn't have to decide a whole lot as far as our limits went; we just had to have integrity and follow the rules that were already set in place for us.

A lot of the rules were standards that I already lived by, so I didn't really need to think about those.  But for some, like listening to secular music, I only had vague ideas of my standards.  "I will listen to some secular music if I want to, but I won't listen to anything with lyrics that compromise my heart or mind," I decided.  So I tried going with that idea. 

But then I remembered a phrase spoken by a leader at the HA, something along the lines of, "How far, God, will you let me go? How abandoned will you let me be?" Those words were spoken during a sermon that was essentially about total consecration.  It goes along with 1 Corinthians 10:23, which says:

“'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up."

So, sure.  Maybe listening to a few harmless, clean secular songs every now and then wouldn't hurt me.  It might not draw me further from the Lord.  But would it help me?  Would it draw me closer to the Lord? Probably not.

I don't want to just avoid the "big" sins.  I want to hate every little sin that I ever commit.  Every impatient sigh, every cutting remark, every carelessly casual sin. 

Leviticus 20:7 says, "Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God."

I want total intimacy with God, no matter the cost.  

I want to go through His refining fire.

I want to be consecrated.