Protecting your Greatest Asset
This journal entry began on my way home from Dallas, where I attended the Sound of Revival USA conference in mid-July—a life-changing, mind renewal encounter that’s still SO hard to put into words. Wish you were there!
Following the conference, I consecrated, taking a three-week break from specific places, and things to spend time in the presence of God, and build on my foundation of the word. I finally came around to finishing this entry in early August while en route to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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In Dallas, one lesson was reinforced daily: my heart is my greatest asset. Everything flows from it—my thoughts, words, and actions. Therefore, I need to protect her at all costs.
But what does that look like practically?
Guarding What Enters
Protecting my heart begins with being intentional about what I let in. As my college pastor’s wife used to say, “what you feed grows, and what you starve dies.” If I keep buying my favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, my craving for it will only grow stronger. But if I swap it out for brussels sprouts, my appetite for ice cream will naturally diminish. During my 3-week consecration period, I focused on allowing only the things of the Spirit into my heart (Galatians 5:16).
The term “consecrate,” as defined by Blue Letter Bible, means “to regard as set apart or separate,” and consecration is “the devoting or setting apart of anything to the worship or service of God.”
This practice is driven by a desire to know God more intimately, not by a need to tick off boxes on a Christian checklist or appear more righteous. It’s about choosing to spend more time with my Creator, my Father, than with the things I love so much.
When you remove something from its usual place, it creates a void that needs to be filled. During this time, I turned down things like social media, Afrobeats, and spaces that don’t glorify God, while turning up stillness, scripture study, character study, quiet time in the secret place, and intentional conversations with close friends about how they’re living out this idea of guarding our hearts.
Choosing How You Respond
On the flip side, protecting my heart also means not letting external influences—what I see, hear, or experience—dictate how I show up. In a conversation with a friend in Dallas, we reflected on Matthew 5:38-48, which talks about turning the other cheek when someone slaps you. A slap can symbolize betrayal from a loved one, disappointment from a letdown, or other forms of emotional hurt.
When faced with these painful moments, it’s natural to feel upset or angry. But we also have the power to decide whether those feelings will take root. Proverbs 19:11 says, “It is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” (A scripture I’ve always grappled with because, wow, God. The offense be offending.) The world tells us to stay mad, and I’ve definitely bought into that before, but recently, I’ve learned that I have a choice.
One question my sister Kenny and I often ask each other before responding in painful moments is, “Are we on the same team?” The answer is always yes, but sometimes our pain can make us believe the people who love us aren’t on our team, which changes how we respond. Remembering we’re on the same side helps us protect our hearts and respond with love and grace, rather than letting pain dictate our actions.
Navigating the Christian Journey
There’s ongoing debate among Christians about whether it’s appropriate to listen to secular music, attend parties, drink alcohol, or wear skintight/revealing clothing. The Bible provides clear standards for how we should represent God in our daily lives: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
However, these standards may appear to vary depending on stages in the Christian journey. As Joshua Selman explained at the conference, the believer’s journey evolves from being a Believer to a Transformed Believer, then an Empowered Believer, and ultimately a Witness.
Each stage should shape our appetites, personal convictions, and the state of our hearts.
Regardless of where we are on this journey, I believe we can all benefit from a period of consecration.
My Two Cents — Benefits of Consecration
1. Deepening Your Relationship with God: My local church pastor encouraged spending an hour with God each day. For me, this practice includes listening to worship music throughout the day, praying the scriptures, studying one book of the Bible using the SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) method, and concluding with a Bible teaching sermon where I take notes on key insights. It’s easy to turn to God only when we have needs, but this dedicated time has helped me build a deeper relationship with Him, and build new disciplines.
2. Aligning Your Appetite with God’s: Consecration felt like a reboot for my senses, heightening my sensitivity to hear more clearly and see more deeply. It helped align my desires with God’s nature. After this period, I listened to the new Asake album because, one thing about me, I need to learn these lyrics! Although he’s been a favorite artist of mine for years, my ears could only handle so much after consecration. I found myself thinking, “I can’t feed myself too much of this today.” Two songs were enough for the moment, so I saved the rest for later in the week.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for creating a standard that serves my best interest because, as my father, you want the best for me. Help me always choose the path that honors you and brings you glory. My desire is to know you more intimately and to grow in my Christian journey, not to remain stagnant but to progress day in and day out.
Amen
— After reading Sunday devo, I often find solace in worship music. If you're inclined to do the same, here are some of my favorite 🎵playlists.
〰T.
