I personally would hate to be described as inconsistent. Simply because someone had observed that what I say is not consistent with how I live my life, my words are not always truthful, or I pretend to be that which I am not. It is also the one characteristic I find so lacking in the world we live in today, people who are consistent seem to be few and far between. Do we know many people we can count on?
In the world we live in, we don’t always know where we stand with people, or who they really are. We admire people who are “real,” meaning there is an authenticity to them.
- We know that people will commit to something and then pull out of it when it is inconvenient, or uncomfortable.
- Worse still, they don’t commit to anything in case they have a better option later on, or you hold them to what they said.
- People seem to be fickle, moving from one passion to the next without being able to express their own passions, beliefs, desires.
- There is always a new trend, and people shaping their lives to match it. Ask people to stand up for something and they disappear.
I don’t want to be like that, I want to be a consistent person. Someone people can count on, including myself and my family.
A consistent person lives their life based on what they believe every day. When we don’t live consistent with what we believe, then there is space in our lives for contradiction and compromise. When we are not consistent we are at a loss as to what we ought to do, how we ought to live.
Part of being young and growing up, is learning to live according to your morals and ethics consistently. Part of me growing up spiritually, is learning to live more and more consistent with what I believe, for what I believe, determines how I live.
Jesus is consistent, He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8) and throughout scripture God calls His children to consistent living, to be holy as He is holy.
Living consistent is a wise and godly approach to life.
Consistent people have a certain way of speaking, they seem to know what they are about and where they are going. They simply live on a ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and ‘No,’ be ‘No’ basis. (Matt 5:33-37)- They engender trust during difficult times because they have proved themselves to be consistent.
- They help us to stand firm in our faith because they stand firm in their faith.
We live in a world that gives us permission to quit when the going gets tough. It allows a way out when something does not suit us anymore and allows us to get out of a commitment at the last-minute. It is a world that excuses bad behavior and entertains all opinions without making any moral judgment or call to action.
But consistent people sow seeds of effort all the time. They never get fatigued doing good, they get involved, they don’t give up, or quit. (Gal 6:9) Even in their old age, or difficult times, they are consistent and inevitably flourishing. (Ps 92:13-14).
Daniel practiced consistent living king after king after king, even into his old age when it meant being thrown to the lions. David killed a lion, a bear and then Goliath based on what he believed. Paul and Silas practiced consistent living singing their hearts out, even in prison.
What I am beginning to understand is that what we believe must be translated into how we live and how we live should become more and more consistent with what we believe. James 2:14-26 has much to say about our lives matching our faith, but the ones we admire are the people like Abraham and Rahab who lived out their beliefs consistently, no matter what.
James 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
Consistency is a characteristic of believers, even on their off days.
Christine Kane
It does not come naturally to be consistent, it has to be worked on. It takes daily decisions not to “opt out,” to be honest, truthful and have integrity.
I am trying to become more and more consistent, starting with keeping commitments. No more little white lies to avoid telling the truth, doing what I said I would do. When I cannot commit to something, being honest with myself and people around me, even if it means that as I communicate what I cannot do, right up front, people might not like what I say. That way, I know what I commit to, can be done.
What would being consistent look like for you?
Father, help me to live according to what I believe, with constant faith and trust in You. Help me to live consistently before others so that they know I can be counted on. Help me to do what I committed to, to pitch up and not make excuses.
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