Be consistent
Let’s talk about the super sexy topic of consistency. In our culture, we tend to value instant over consistent.
Instant diet results instead of a healthy lifestyle.
Instant success instead of consistently stewarding our resources well.
Instant Social media relationships instead of faithfully being in a small group and choosing to be transparent and accountable.
Every instant scenario will leave you disappointed, but a consistent mindset will bring you health, prosperity and the deep relationships that we are longing for.
There’s nothing more exhausting than not knowing what person you are going to get from one day to the next and there’s nothing more demoralizing than starting well and then falling off the bandwagon (and all the dieters say amen!).
Here’s the truth as humans, we crave consistency. In essence, we crave God, because He is consistent. Let’s learn about the consistent character and nature of God from the Word of God.
Numbers 23:19 (NIV) God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV) if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
So we can surmise from these texts that God is CONSISTENT. Too often we fall for comparison instead of operating in consistency (Christ). It’s easy to look at someone and see what you don’t have. Oftentimes people want what you have, but they don’t want to pay what you’ve paid for it. In my maturity, I can look at another woman that is fit and has a gorgeous physique and think, ya . . . I don’t deserve that. When she was at boot camp at 5 a.m., I was asleep and I loved it! I can celebrate her now, but I know there was a time when I would have hated her for her hard work. When we think like this, it’s because we are very aware that we are missing something in our own lives and they have it: that something is consistency.
Think about it. Did this poor woman take something away from us? Is there not enough room at the gym because of her? Is there no celery left in the grocery stores because of her? Did she take this opportunity away from us? No! Our bodies have potential, but it’s up to us to pull the potential out of our lives. She didn’t take an opportunity away from us. She just didn’t settle for what we settled for. She was consistent.
The same is true spiritually, we must pull the spiritual potential out of our lives through consistency! Here’s an ouch statement: we can have as much of God as we want. The fact is that a spiritually disciplined life leads to fruitful seasons in times of difficulty. God wants us to produce a lifestyle of longevity in our faith by creating spiritual disciplines that will support us in our times of need. It’s best to have positive routines before a storm-like season interrupts your life, because the storms will come for us. So start activating consistent practices that will support your spiritual life now.
Start Reading your Word.
Start praying.
Start giving.
And consider consistent bad behaviors you need to stop.
Stop worrying.
Stop Gossiping.
Stop running to everything/everyone else, but God.
Now it’s truth time. What’s one thing that immediately comes to your mind when it comes to a place you know you are lacking consistency? Invite God into that space and make that area your focus. Don’t work on a million things at one time, just start with the one and as you master it God will give you the energy to apply the same determination and faithfulness to other spaces. You can do it my friend.
Think different. Break Cycles. Be consistent.
