Consistent Consistency

It has been said that your daily habits have the power to change your life. We prioritize the little things that shape our mindset, goals, and relationships. I’m talking about consistency or being consistent.  The dictionary defines consistency as; being in the habit of doing the same thing on a regular basis. Consistency is the act of living by the same principles. It is the practice of being the same when it comes to attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics.  

A consistent person is not a wishy-washy person. He makes up his mind and sticks to what he says he will do or not do. Consistency also brings about results. If you are consistently late for work, the result will be a reprimand like docked pay or even the loss of your position.  If you are consistent in putting money away into savings, the result will be being able to afford that house, car, or vacation.   If we make our relationship with God a priority, changing those daily habits to include time in God’s Word and seek Him in prayer, the result will be a stronger, deeper connected faith and an intimate relationship with God.

The one comparable I have found in my life would have to be my focus on healthy living. For those who don’t know me well, I am a bit of a gym rat, to say the least.  More often than not, if you are looking for me,  you will find me in my place of solitude, tucked away in the corner of our basement, surrounded by my weights and resistant bands.  For me, Strength Training is more than just moving and strengthening my physical body it helps tremendously with my mental health.

But I have found that many of the same daily habits in my health/fitness world can be applied to my faith walk.  If you want to see any physical results in Strength Training, you must implement a few daily habits – Drinking lots of water, moving your body by getting your steps in, eating enough protein (vital for building muscle), learning how to take rest days, prioritizing sleep and lifting heavy weights.  Implementing these basic habits into your daily life will show no results if you don’t do it daily. We are playing the long game. It all has to be sustainable, with no quick fixes; otherwise, it is too easy just to give up and quit. A person can’t expect to go into the gym every once in a while, do a few bicep curls and several push-ups and see results.  The parallels to our Christian walk would be:

Spending time with Jesus, who is said to be living water; getting involved with fellow believers to share the Good News; consuming the Word and building our faith muscles; learning to rest in God and creating quiet times to allow us to hear Him amongst the loudness of life.  We can’t expect to go to Church once a week, open our Bible only when it fits into our schedule, or only pray when we are in need and expect a healthy, thriving relationship with the Almighty. There is so much truth in this quote: “It is not what we do once and a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.”

When we allow the craziness and sometimes, let’s face it, the laziness of the world into our lives, we often find ourselves asking, “Why am I not as close to God as I want to be?” When we sacrifice consistency in our relationship with God, we not only begin to miss God but also the work He is doing on our behalf.

Jesus said in John 15:4 (ESV), “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”  To abide is to endure without yielding, to continue in a place; to remain stable. Abiding is simply spending time together, day in and day out. Instead, many of us pop in for a quick chat with God when it’s convenient and then disappear for weeks.  A statement was often made when I was growing up that has stuck with me well into my adult life. “A job worth doing is worth doing right.” I don’t know about you but investing in my walk with God definitely falls into the job worth doing category, and man, why waste our time only investing half-heartedly?  Like all relationships, you truly do get what you put out of it, but I would go further to say you will get SO much more when it comes to God.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV).

Just as James 4:8 (NIV) says, “Come near to God, and He will come near to you.” Are you as close to God as you want to be? If not, are you implementing what you need to to build consistency in your daily habits, strengthening your relationship with Him? Consistency is not found in how much Bible knowledge you have or how much you read or recite. It is found in the commitment to spend time deep in God’s Word and His presence, getting to know Him regularly—developing not just head knowledge but a heart relationship. When you set aside time in your day for God, prioritizing your relationship with Him, the results will blow you away.  You will begin to see His hand in everything as you allow Him to guide and direct your life. It will be impossible not to see improvements in every aspect of your life: Your spiritual, mental and emotional health,

Consistency is the key to close relationships in our everyday and spiritual lives. Consistency in our time with God starts with simple changes, which can significantly impact us. Maybe start by finding time to be alone with God daily without distractions. Let’s face it, if you can watch the same TV show every week, make it to the same job every day, or remember to eat, you’ve got what it takes to be consistent. God wants to spend time with us daily. Just like those who spend time in the gym forming the required daily habits to see positive physical outcomes – when you are consistently in God’s Word and prioritizing times for prayer, you will not only strengthen your faith but grow closer to Jesus, it is impossible not to!

Father God, as Galatians says,” let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” Help us not to give up when being consistent seems hard or even impossible. May we be people who are dependable, not wishy-washy in our faith. Thank you that when we draw near to you, You promise to draw near to us. May we long for that deep intimate relationship with you; may we long to be in your presence. May we prioritize our relationship with you above all others, and may we see the glorious fruit in our lives that will come with living a life of consistency.   Amen