Consistency
This is the hardest challenge I face in my life. There are so many areas of my life that consistency has a role, a solid work ethic, Christ-like example, putting myself last, working out, eating right, reading, praying, fasting, volunteering, outreach, and any other area of my life where consistency is important. For me it is an aspect of life I frequently overlook but fortunately some are habits and I do them without even thinking. Then there are those important ones that create the challenge to follow through on.
The challenge with consistency is that it coincides with self-discipline and as we all know that is a pretty big challenge at times. You ever notice the things that are good for you are the hardest to do at first? Working out, eating healthy, working hard when no one is looking and the task is mundane, meditating on scripture, spending time in fellowship with Christ, etc? What makes these things hard, at least at first? Well life, tired from a long day at work, kids, dinner, lunch, meetings, homework, class, time restraints, bills, chores, desires, and/or anything else that can pull our focus. Life has so much going on that it makes maintaining consistency hard at times.
You know what I have noticed…I can’t do it! I am constantly stumbling, over doing it, dropping the ball, burning out, and losing focus. My intentions are great but I find myself not following through on the areas of life that I need consistency! The only time I become consistent is when I give up and redirect my focus on my relationship with Christ. It’s like the closer I get to Him everything else just falls together, but as soon as I begin to shift main focus from Christ to work or any other area of life all Hell breaks loose in my life and I end of wearing myself out! LOL…what is sad this is a trend that I have followed for the past 12 years of my life and I still cannot consistently keep my main focus on Christ.
It’s not a lack of faith, so to speak but a lack of personal discipline to keep my focus on Christ.
Matthew 14:22-33
“22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28”Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29”Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”“
In this passage of scripture describes what I am talking about. Peter had faith to get out of the boat and walk on the water but lacked the personal discipline to keep his focus on Christ. He allowed the surrounding circumstances pull his focus from Christ, he doubted, and sank!
Now in the passage below we see Peter risking it all to protect Christ (funny isn’t it! Peter protect God on earth as man…lol) Pretty bold action right?
Luke 22:47-51
“47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,
48but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”
50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.(John 18:10 identifies Peter as the disciple)
51But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
Now in the passage below we see Him deny Christ 3 times. Why? What caused the change? Pretty inconsistent behavior right? Or is it? Look at what happened, Peter was with Christ and been with Him when they came to arrest Him. His focus was on Christ and not the ramification of his actions or the situation. Then as several days past he began to realize the seriousness of the matter, consequences, etc…focus shift! See it’s the same behavior we read about in the boat!
Mark 14:66-72
“66While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
69When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.”
70Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
71He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”
I feel this is kind of the pattern I keep falling in, the shifting of focus from Christ to life, circumstances, etc.
You might not see how this applies to working out, eating healthy, working hard…and I will explain but first notice how it applies to our spiritual lives in Christ. In our spiritual lives when we shift our focus from Christ to life we begin to sink and the more our focus is shifted the more our actions begin to reflect this shift change. You begin to see your reading decrease, prayer cease, volunteerism decrease, self interests increase, and you begin the slippery slope downhill! Praise God when we bust at the bottom Christ is there to reach out His hand and pick us back up…and start the climb all over but this time with knowledge we gained from our previous experience! So it isn’t quite as hard the second time because we learned from our mistakes…we just have to remember to apply that knowledge to the next mountain we climb!
Now I mentioned that Peter ironically tried to protect Christ, the one who came here to save us! Which Christ saved actually saved Peter by healing the servant…what ramifications do you think Peter would have had if Christ didn’t heal the ear of the servant of the High Priest? What is funny to me is that we still act like this today; we go about as if we have to defend Christ…like His reputation is at stake and it is our job to prove His good name! That kind of thinking is completely asinine! Christ did not charge us as His defense lawyers but His ambassadors. I know you are thinking isn’t that kinda the same…yes and no.
Ambassador:
1. a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative (ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary).
2. a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.
3. a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country’s mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.
4. an authorized messenger or representative.
We are highly ranked diplomatic offices authorized by Christ to represent His policies, lifestyles, mission, and will! Christ didn’t even defend himself to Pilot, He was patient, kind to all, not envious of anyone, He never boasted but ask many to not tell His deeds, humble, never rude, and always thinking of others first. He wasn’t easily angered, didn’t keep reminding Peter or any other for their mistakes, He hated all forms of evil but rejoiced in Truth. He always thought of others by feeding them so they would not go hungry, protected the disciples from the storms and other things they were not ready for, He trusts and always hopes and His love perseveres even in the face of severe persecution. He never fails! These are the actions we are to live out as Christ ambassador, nothing more and nothing less!! If Christ would give a homeless man something to eat or drink or clothes we are to give that homeless man the same things as if that man was Christ. For that is how Christ treated everyone! We see Christ explaining this behavior in Matthew 25:31-46.
So as our focus shifts from Christ to life our actions change too reflecting the shifts that has just occurred. Examples of what could happen is we allow ourselves to: be lazy at work, caught up in gossip, arrogant, self indulgent, over eating, taking life/family for granted, and many other things!! These actions create a misrepresentation of Christ and we are being a poor ambassador. So we do not have to defend Christ but be honest and say my Christ does not act like this…I am struggling to represent His will/policies because He is so perfect and wonderful and I am a no body that has allowed life or whatever to change my focus from His agenda to mine. Please know He is better than I could ever be and I am striving to become more like Him. Please forgive me for the misrepresentation of Christ, that is not how a true Christian should act or do.
Any shortcomings the world sees of Christ, it isn’t because of Him but because of US and our inconsistencies!
I would like to point out, that I am guilty of being a bad representative of Christ! I over indulge in eating, lazy to work out, struggle to work hard on mundane job duties, losing focus, working to much, taking people for granted like they are going to be here forever, impatient, lusts of the flesh, being content, etc! This is a poor representation of my Jesus!! I am not perfect and I have never claimed to be but I am striving to be more like Him every day. I am striving to not repeat mistakes but learn from them and allow the lesson to make be a better representative of Christ which will make me a better person!
Strive for consistency by practicing self discipline in all facets of life!! Let up in one, you create a weak link in your life that makes everything unstable!
