Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Consistency is key.

One thing I can’t seem to get away from in every aspect of life recently is this principle, consistency is key. Whether we are talking about learning a new skill set at work, doing family devotions at home, or building a stronger marriage, consistency is the key to making it work. Let’s take a look at a few examples. 

When learning to ride a bike or teaching your children to do so, you don’t ever tell them to try it once and then if that doesn’t work just give up. Absolutely not! Even just saying that out loud sounds ridiculous. Rather, you encourage your child to pick themselves back up, shake the dirt off, even wash off the scrapes and bruises they get from the fall, and to try, try again. You know that consistent attempts, even though failures may occur, are the only way to stay up on the bike and ride. Also, knowing that once they have mastered the balance and pedaling that it is likely one skill set they will never forget, hence the expression, “It’s just like riding a bike.” 

Just like riding a bike, the same consistency and perseverance are required in this thing we call life, and in particular our spiritual journey. One does not simply decide to read the Bible and get started in Genesis, maybe make it to the book of Leviticus and decide this is impossible, give up and never try again. Yet, this is the plight of many today. They say they can’t get through it all, it’s too hard to understand, etc. Consistency is key. W.E. Hickson is credited with the popular proverb, “Tis a lesson you should heed, try, try, try again; If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” 

In one of the evening services last week in Conway, the speaker, Rob Leonard, posed the question, “Why should we read our Bible?” He then went on to say when you love that special someone you desire to spend every waking moment with them. You talk to them as often as possible. All this because you love them and want to be as close to them as possible. You see God still speaks today, maybe not in an audible voice from a mountain top as before but through a book on the shelf or coffee table of over half of all Americans today. Maybe it’s in the back window of your car or on the desk at home. Wherever it is for you, God is desiring to speak if you would but pick up His Word and listen. Don’t give up! Consistency is key. 

However, it does take time to be consistent today. Lysa TerKeurst said it best when I heard her at a conference last year, “We have to find the ‘us’ in the middle of the ‘rush’…” I hate to say this but The Rolling Stones may have been wrong when they sang their hit song “Time is on my Side”. Time as a matter of fact the only thing we are losing by the second. Life is a rush and constantly moving faster it seems, you can not try and slow down time but rather find yourself and what is important in the midst of it. 

If you were to ask anyone older than you what they would change about their life looking back, you would consistently hear responses centered around the idea of how they spent their time. Time can’t be taken back or slowed down but it can be invested. What is it that you consistently do each week? If you had a crystal ball and could look into the future, and you could see your future self, having invested the same amount of time in the things you are currently investing your time in each week, what would you look like? Would you be pleased? If at this point you are feeling slightly defeated then don’t fear, there is a solution, and consistency is the key. 

It has been said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Whatever it is in your life right now that you want to change, I challenge you to take the next 21 days and begin this process of forming new habits, but remember consistency is key. Whether you need to strengthen your relationship with God, or maybe your spouse, kids, or grandkids, maybe all of the above, then try these simple steps. 

1. Begin by praying each day that God would help, but don’t stop there because we know that faith without works is dead (James 2)

2. Search the scriptures. Listen to God and find out what He has to say about your particular struggle. I’m crazy enough to believe the scriptures when they say:
You know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:15-17

3. Start Simple. It’s great to have big dreams and grand goals but every flight to the moon began with a simple first step. Don’t put pressure on yourself to change overnight. Remember it’s hard to ride a bike the first time you sit on it. 

4. Consistency is key. Whether enhancing your marriage, modeling Christlike behavior to your wife and kids or reading through your entire Bible for the first time, you’ll have to keep up the hard work and realize it’s going to take time. Don’t feel defeated after you fall off the bike. If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. 

God Bless, 


Pastor Grant