Stay Consistent. What does that even mean? When you are consistent, you are repeating the same action over and over again. When someone is steady in their actions and thoughts, nothing can ever waver them no matter how hard the opposition might be. Did you know that this can be your mindset when it comes to the Lord? It can be so strong that nothing will ever tear you down. How do we get there? Let’s find out!
A consistent behavior is shown when the actions are being repeated and we are firm in what we believe in. We are to have this same attitude when it comes to the Lord. Why? If we are not consistent, we will fall into sin and wander further and further away from the Lord. The enemy will do whatever he can to ensure that you are not walking and having fellowship with God. However, there is a way that we can have that fellowship where nothing will deter us away from the Lord. How do we get this?
One way is to constantly read our Bible. 1 Peter 5:8 states “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The devil will try to stop you from following the Lord and to listen to him instead. If we are not on alert, we will become an easy prey for the devil to come in and do his work. His work involves lying, disobedience, pride, hate and all actions that are contrary to God’s Word. The more we read our Bible and retain it, the more we can withstand whatever the enemy will put in our way.
Let us imagine a real life situation to understand this. Imagine you were playing a game and your opponent knew your weaknesses and used them against you. You would feel defeated and crushed. Now imagine you worked on your weaknesses and overcame them to a point where you conquered your opponent. You would feel victorious because you overcame and defeated your opponent. Think of this in the spiritual world. If we are not prepared, the enemy will come and keep taking away our joy and victory. But if we know and carry God’s Word with us and obey it, the enemy’s tactics will have no dominion over you. The more consistent you are, the stronger you will be.
Prayer is also another habit we must keep implementing. It goes hand and hand with reading the Bible. We cannot do one without the other. In fact, we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing”. We are also told in Psalms 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Without prayer and reading the Bible, we cannot hear from God and we will not have the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our guide from the Lord on whether something is a sin or God’s Will. We will hear more from the Holy Spirit if we are spiritually disciplined.
To be spiritually disciplined means that we become more in tune of pleasing the Lord and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh. The desires of the flesh will draw us away from the Lord and it is a lifestyle that does not please the Lord. Spiritual discipline is essential to having that consistent and close walk with the Lord. It is like sports. Without consistent training and practice, we will never become good at the sport. However, training, weights, healthy diet, and discipline will help us to get to the point of mastering the game.
So what does a consistent behavior look like? It is valuing the Lord over everything else in our life. For example, taking time to read the Bible every day and expecting to hear from Him. The more the Word lives in our heart, we will know His voice when He speaks to us and we will obey Him. We also must take the time for prayer. Prayer is essential because it is our direct communication to the Lord. If we do not have this communication, we will be hearing the voices and thoughts of the world instead of the Lord’s. We can get to the point of confusion and may even mistaken a thought as if the Lord was speaking to us but He may not. The Lord is never a God of confusion but clarification. If God speaks to you and it does not contradict His Word or create confusion, you will know that it was the Lord speaking to you.
The more we take time for God, the closer we will be to Him. No one is ever too far away that He will not accept them. If you are finding yourself not having this consistency, you can always make a change! However, just like change, it will not be easy but it will be worth it. Jesus told us in Mark 8:36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Having a personal relationship with the Lord is more important than anything else in this life. Start by taking time for the Lord every day. Do not let a day go by without spending time with Him, you will not regret it! If you fall into sin, ask God’s forgiveness and His help to not make you fall into that sin again. By yourself, it is impossible but with God, it is possible. Even though consistency may be hard, we can do all things with the help of the Lord. If we stay true to the end, we will one day reap our eternal reward in heaven.
Thought for the week: How is our walk with the Lord? What can we change to make it better and consistent?