The Only Surrender That Is a Victory

Elder Russell M Nelson said, “Consecration is the only surrender which is also a victory.” One may wonder the connection between consecration and marriage but marriage is all about consecration. “The law of consecration is a divine principle whereby men and women voluntarily dedicate their time, talents, and material wealth to the establishment and building up of God’s kingdom” (Guide to the Scriptures).  This applies to marriage. Marriage is a place where a man and woman voluntarily dedicate their time, talents, and material possessions to their spouse. Part of consecration is giving the very best part of us. H Wallace Goddard in his book, Drawing Heaven Into Your Marriage teaches us how we can be consecrated to our spouse.

To be truly consecrated in our marriage is to everyday give our best efforts. No matter how we feel we give everything we have to our partner. Goddard says, “Consecration invites us to put everything we have on the altar- to hold nothing back. We are willing to minister to a mixed-up spouse. We are willing to love a failing partner. We bless those who belittle us. We pray for those who have despitefully used us…But every married person must accept abundant limitations if they hope to have a strong relationship. Then consecration moves us from acceptance to using our spiritual energy to rescue our imperfect partners” (pg 99). In marriage it is to love our spouse no matter what comes. Marriage is not all peaches and cream. There are failures, trials, and sorrows. The thing that matters is how we respond. We are to give without expecting anything in return.

On my mission, we had Elder Brent H Nielsen of the Seventy and his wife come tour our mission. Sister Nielsen talked to us about the holiness of everyday. She read a book that focused on seeing things the way our Heavenly Father sees them.  Instead of seeing a messy home with toys spewed across every room, He sees children who are loved. He sees children whose parents can afford to give them such gifts. He sees parents who are giving their children opportunities to learn. Sister Nielsen then taught us the power of perspective. As she came to understand the holiness of every day, she decided to make her house a home. She bought fun sheets for the children. She decided that her family would be the fruit of her creative juices.

This same thing applies to marriage. Just as the mother must see the messy house in the Lord’s way so do we need to see things through the eyes of our Father in Heaven. He sees the whole pictures of our relationship. We see the here and now but He sees the big picture. He understands how everything is making us into better people. Marriage is an invitation to become as He. He has given His best efforts to help us succeed. He made this Earth a beautiful home for us. We now have that same opportunity to give our best. We can find the holiness in everyday of marriage. It could be leaving a note on the bathroom mirror. Instead of a regular dinner you could bring out your special dishes. Our spouse deserves the very best from us. In this process we become as our Savior. Consecration is a victory for we make our marriage better than ever. Are you willing to give your best to your spouse?