Found What’s Missing

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Do you often find yourself struggling in your faith journey? So many of us do! And often because a critical piece is missing from our spiritual rhythms. We touched on this briefly in What Am I Missing, and we’re diving deeper here.

There are four main elements to our faith, and most of us tend to neglect one of them.

The first is Justification: the moment of salvation. It’s when you recognize that you cannot save yourself, surrender your life to Jesus, and God changes your status from guilty to righteous. There is nothing you can do to earn it or add to it. It requires surrender: laying down your preferences, your dreams, and your very life. Yet the gift was paid in full with Jesus’ own life.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

(Romans 5:1 NIV)

The second is Sanctification: the work of the Holy Spirit. The moment we are justified by faith, God’s Spirit indwells the believer and begins the work of sanctifying us— making us holy, making us more like Jesus. This part cannot be earned either. But unlike justification, sanctification is a lifelong process, unfolding day by day throughout our lives.

“But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life.” 

(Romans 6:22 NRSV)

Let’s skip ahead to the fourth real quick! Glorification: the final step in our salvation journey. We will not fully experience this until Christ returns in glory. On that day, we will be transformed into all we were created to be.

“…heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” 

(Romans 8:17 ESV)

But it’s the third process, the one we skipped, that tends to get skipped in our real lives too.

This is called Consecration.

Consecration is the only one of the four stages we have direct control over. It’s our choice to intentionally set ourselves apart for God. Not to earn salvation, not to gain his favour or approval, but to make room in our lives for God to work.

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” 

(Joshua 3:5 NIV)

This verse comes from the story of the Israelites just before they cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. They’re told to consecrate themselves. Not because God needed their help to part the waters, but because something holy was about to happen, and they needed to prepare for it.

That’s what consecration is: spiritual preparation. Making space. Clearing the clutter.

Let’s think of it this way: If I handed you a tote bag full of trash and then offered you a diamond, where would you put it? You’d have to empty the bag first, right?

That’s what consecration is like. Our lives are full. They’re full of distractions, habits, noise, entertainment, pain, pressure, performance. And they get cluttered. If we want to carry the things of God, we have to make room for them. 

That’s why Jesus says:“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” 

(John 15:5 NIV)

Consecration is what allows us to abide in Christ. It’s the difference between trying harder and making space. It’s not about striving. It’s about surrendering. It’s not about earning. It’s about aligning.

And here’s what grieves me: So many followers of Jesus are stuck, discouraged, burnt out, or waiting for a breakthrough — while simultaneously living lives so crowded that God would have to fight for a place in them.

But he doesn’t do that. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 says,

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

He doesn’t force his way in. He waits for our commitment. Our cooperation. Our participation. And consecration is our ‘yes’ to that invitation.

So if you’re reading this and thinking, “I know I’m saved, but I still feel like I’m missing something”, let me encourage you! God is ready and waiting to speak and to act in your life. This is your invitation to consider what may be hindering that! If there is too much clutter in your life, there is no room for God. If there’s too much noise in your ears, you can’t hear his voice.

Let’s pause and consider a few questions. Not as a checklist, but as a spiritual inventory:

• What are the “clutter” items that might be keeping me from hearing God clearly?

• Are there habits, thought patterns, or time-fillers that are crowding out the space where intimacy with God could grow?

• What would it look like to intentionally create room for God’s voice, God’s presence, and God’s transformation in my everyday life?

  
  

If this feels overwhelming, start small. I’ve found it helpful to take stock in two columns:

Column 1: What’s crowding out God’s voice in my life?

Consider: endless scrolling, constant noise, performance pressure, busyness, hurry, negative self-talk, addiction to productivity, fear of stillness.

Column 2: What practices invite God in?

Consider: prayer, worship, silence & solitude, journaling, reading Scripture, Sabbath, acts of service, community.

One exercise that I’ve found deeply helpful is to create a simple “Spiritual Space Plan.” Choose three things to reduce or remove for a season (even just 24 hours), and three things to intentionally practice instead.

For example:

Remove → TikTok, background noise while working, mindless TV.

Add → Worship music in the morning, 5 minutes of contemplative prayer, a walk without your phone.

This isn’t legalism. It’s an invitation.

I implemented these and a few others like them in January of 2023 when I felt spiritually stuck and mentally down.I was reading my Bible, showing up at church, doing all the right things on the outside. But something was still missing on the inside. So I began clearing space. Not just space in my schedule, but in my soul. And what followed was truly transformative.

I turned down the volume of the world and tuned in to the voice of God. And he spoke. Not audibly, but undeniably. That season became a turning point in my faith, not because of anything I accomplished, but because I finally made room for God to do what only he could.

That’s the invitation of consecration.

Let me say it again: This isn’t about earning salvation. That was secured at the cross. This isn’t about being “a better Christian.” This is about participating in your transformation. You are not passive in your sanctification. You are not sidelined in your spiritual growth. You are invited in.

So try this:

• Pick one thing to fast from for 24 hours. One “clutter” item.

• In its place, practice something that points you toward God.

• Journal about it. Ask: What did I notice? What surfaced in me? What did I hear? What shifted?

  
  

Here’s a journaling prompt to help you process:“What am I hoping to receive from God after making room for him?”

The truth is: God is already at work in your life. But he often moves most powerfully in the margins. In the spaces we’ve surrendered, the noise we’ve silenced, and the time we’ve set apart in anticipation for more.

So if you feel like something’s missing, I want to encourage you: It’s not too late to find it. And it’s not too late to flourish.

Jesus hasn’t moved. But maybe the clutter has crept in. Good news is that you can start clearing space today.

Consecration is your “yes” to the ongoing work of God. It’s what prepares your heart for the “amazing things” he has promised. It’s what transforms your faith from something stagnant to something sacred.

So take that tote bag. Dump out the junk. Make room for the diamond.

You may just find that flourishing life you've been missing all along.

What’s in the Ears

This is the part where I share a song or podcast I’m currently into. In honour of our efforts to make space, I’m sharing an album that is entirely instrumental. Alabaster Co is a Christian group that puts out synth music with the best low-key vibes and I love to listen to their album titled Prayer while I write. Let know if you check it out!

If this stirred something in you, share this post with a friend or drop a comment below. I’d love to hear what small step you’re taking towards the flourishing life today! And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.

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