Put Your Whole Self In

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.     –  Romans 12:1

A simple song often found in preschools sparked a dance craze in the 1950s. The Hokey Pokey directs participants to use certain body movements. “Put your right hand in,” and later, “Put your left foot in.”   By the end of the song, dancers are told “Put your whole self in. … That’s what it’s all about.” Dancing the Hokey Pokey has likely never been included in worship services, but in Romans 12:1, Paul says putting “your whole self in“ is requisite to worship. God calls you to total commitment. Such complete devotion is sometimes called consecration. 

George Bush, an American biblical scholar, pastor, and academic—and distant relative of both presidents with that name—wrote, “For spiritual victory we must be willing to separate ourselves from all that might defile us, so that we can be set apart for God’s purposes in our life. In addition, before God can do in our lives what He wants to do, we must become clean vessels for Him.” Evangelist and author Vance Havner said, “God wants self before substance and service… Self, service, substance is the divine order, and nothing counts until we give ourselves.” 

Being consecrated does not mean cloistering yourself away in some monastic order. H.M. Miller calls it “handing God a blank check to fill in with your name signed at the bottom.” In the Old Testament, Joshua called on all the people to “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Josue 3:5). It is through and because of the mercies of God that you are able to be “all in” for His Kingdom and the Gospel, and God is rich in mercies (Ephesians 2:4-5). Pray for believers serving in government office to live in such a way that their full commitment to the Lord is revealed.