Complete Consecration

Just suppose for a moment that a mother gives her child a beautiful flower-plant in bloom, and tells her to carry it to a sick friend. The child takes the plant away, and when she reaches the friend’s door, she plucks off one leaf and gives it to her, keeping the plant itself.

Then afterwards, once a week, she picks off another leaf, or a bud, or a flower, and takes it to the friend, still retaining the plant.

Question: Has she obeyed her mother?

Nothing but the giving of the whole plant would be complete obedience. Yet God asks for all our life — heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:29-30); and we pluck off a little leaf of love now and then, or a flower of affection, and give these little things to Him, keeping the life itself (cf. Luke 12:13-21).

Shall we not say, “Let Him take all?” (Matthew 10:38-39; Matthew 16:24-25; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-24; Luke 17:33; John 12:23-25; cf. Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22). —Author Unknown

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets