It’s yet another night. I’ve been sent to buy something, and I decided to take a stroll with Bezalel, my guardian angel. He almost always follows me everywhere I go, for he was sent to me the very day I was born to help me accomplish God’s plan for my life. That night I asked him, “what message does Heaven have for me today?”. Bezalel decided to share an observation angelic beings have made concerning humans. “We are surprised by your inconsistency. In Heaven, everything is consistent. Nothing ever falls out of place.” Can’t say same for earth.
It’s true. When you observe animals, you’d be surprised at how consistent they are. They basically do the same thing, same time everyday. No holidays. No sign of laziness. No sign of boredom. No complaint. So when something is wrong, you’d quickly notice. Imagine a bird feeling too lazy to fly today. Imagine a cock not being in the mood to crow. Have you seen an ant give up? The thought of it sounds absurd. How about a peacock not proud of its feathers? Or a human not in the mood to work?
Bezalel was right. Humans are ridiculously inconsistent. It’s not a matter of just getting tired of things, it’s a matter of not being able to carry out something till it’s accomplished.
This is a long read but can you simply and consistently read till the end though you don’t feel like it?
Animals and trees give consistent praise to God. Trees wave in awe of Him. Birds chirp and tweet of His goodness. Dogs bark at the smell of His sweet aroma. And then there’s humans. He promised God something last two months but he doesn’t care about it anymore. She is feeling reluctant to even read the Bible nowadays. He doesn’t see the need to attend church services anymore. She is in a good season so her prayers and praise have drastically reduced.
So how do we stay consistent in the things that matter?
First of all, do realise that God is consistent. His character is flawless. Until you believe the consistency of God, you would find it very difficult being a Christian and walking with Him. He is consistently in love with you. He is consistently watching over you. He is consistently caring for your needs.
This is the meaning of unconditional love. Love is consistent. Anything that stops or shifts in the wake of conditions is not consistent. I have given you one key of Consistency. Anything that is unconditional has infinite potential to be consistent.
God’s love is not based on conditions. That’s why His love is consistent. Every excuse arises from a condition that stops the flow of Consistency. Think about it.
Consistency or Consistent Inconsistency
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Though the word “consistency” does not appear even once in the Bible, the above verse captures it wholeheartedly. “Always”. “Never stop”. “All”.
Start small and be consistent till the end. It’s better to start small and be consistent than to start “boom” and stop before it even began. Consistency is not about what you have to do. You already know all those things but don’t do them. “I have to start exercising.” “We have to communicate more.” “You have to open up.” “I have to go on a diet. My stomach is getting bigger.”
Consistency is about breaking ambitions, goals and have-to-dos into smaller, simpler tasks that can be done for a long time to come. Start small. The little things will add up. It is better to eat two bowls of rice everyday for a year than to eat 365 bowls in two days. Both sum up to the same number of bowls but one is healthier, more realistic and natural.
The thing about consistency is that there will always be something we are consistent with or consistently doing. That’s right! Your habits. Therefore, it’s either one is consistent or consistently inconsistent. There’s always a routine to everything we do, and it will shock how long you’ve done a particular activity in your life.
I’ve given you another key. Consistency is inevitable. You’ll always be consistent at something. These are your habits. Your second nature. Things you do with minimum logic and effort. So the question is not whether you’re consistent or not. The question is, “what are you consistent in doing?”.
Have you noticed that we are mostly identified by what we are always consistent with? “The girl who is always laughing”. “The guy who comes to sit here on Tuesdays”. “The guy who knows how to write.” What do you choose to identify yourself with? Be consistent in that!
Thessalonians 5:16-18 shows us things we should always be consistent at; praise, prayers and perseverance. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a command. You cannot be a victorious Christian without being consistent in these. They are not one-time events. There are lifetime commitments.
The Secret of Individual & Cooperate Consistency
“…for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:3-4 GNT
If you faint in the time of adversity, your strength is small, Proverbs 24:10 says. Trials don’t come to destroy you. They come to reveal you. That’s why I’m talking about what you consist of. It is what is within you that will enable you to stand firm.
To be consistent, don’t rely on motivation and emotions. Rely on will and necessity. In other words, don’t do stuff because you feel like it. Day one, you will feel like it. One day, you won’t feel like it. Whenever you push yourself to do something though you don’t feel like it, you develop endurance. Read the Bible verse from James 1:3-4 again. When your endurance carries you all the way without failing??…that’s consistency!
Consistency is from the Latin word “consistentia”, which means “standing together”. The singular form of the word, “consistentem”, means to stand firm.
This illustration of a tree being “consistentem” in the midst of the storm, or the entire forest “consistentia”, really captures the root meaning. It’s all about what it consists of. Before we can stand together, we must individually be able to stand firm. So the first question is, “what you are made of as an individual?”.
Aside from the individuality, God is also interested in the cooperate group. Inasmuch as God is going to judge us individually, God will also judge us based on the groups He placed us in. If you can stand firm individually, it is your duty to support others in need in any way you can.
In Revelations 2 and 3, Jesus commended and rebuked churches as a whole, not individuals. The cooperate group is also important. Your Consistency must drag someone else along. It shouldn’t be just you. In fact, it is much more easier if the group is checking up on each other to keep on being consistent. We both know how important this is. May God help us. It’s about time God taught us how to be consistent 🙏
