Consistency In The Christian Life

 

Something the Israelites struggled with was inconsistency. They were constantly up and down emotionally. One minute, they wanted to be slaves, while the next, they were singing praises to God. Emotionally and spiritually, the children of Israel were on a roller coaster of inconsistency.

Exodus 14:11 "And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?"

They complain before God delivers them.

Exodus 15:1 "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea."

After the miracle, they praise God.

Exodus 15:24 "And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?"

Only a short time later, they complain again.

Exodus 16:2–3 "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

Now they complain about food and wish they were back in Egypt.

 The Children of Israel are marked in the Bible by their great inconsistency.

But when we look at their leader, Moses, he was the very opposite. We look at his life and find much consistency in him.

Numbers 12:7  

"My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house."

His circumstances, emotions, and problems were almost always kept in check. He was not miserable one day and excited the next. Moses just stayed consistent.

In the same way, God desires every Christian to be consistent.

1 Corinthians 15:58  

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

God is looking for us to be steadfast in our faith. God is looking to use Christians who are consistent—ones that are faithful despite the circumstance, steadfast despite the pressure, and consistent despite the problem.

Are you a consistent Christian? Think about it.

God doesn't need your talent, your skill, or your ability. You don't need a special personality or a unique skill set to be used of God. All God is looking for is a Christian who is consistent.

Are you consistent in going to church?

Are you consistent in your walk with God?

Are you consistent in your prayer life?

Are you consistent in your soul-winning?

Are you consistent in your spirit?

Are you consistent in your love for others?

Are you consistent in your standards?

Are you consistent in your ministry?

Are you a consistent Christian?

Look again at Scripture and see what consistency did for Moses.

1. Consistency Reveals Maturity.

A Christian that stays consistent spiritually is one who is mature. They have learned to stay faithful no matter the difficulty or obstacle. Moses faced the same trials and problems as the children of Israel yet his consistency to trust Gid revealed a great maturity in him.

2. Consistency Lets God Work.

Exodus 14:13–14 

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD... The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

When we develop consistency, we become dependable Christians that God can use. God couldn't work or do miracles in the Children of Israel. Why? Because they were so inconsistent that when the problem arose, they abandoned their trust in God. If you want God to do a mighty work in your life, become consistent in what you know your supposed to do.

3. Consistency will take you far in the Christian life.

 Deuteronomy 34:10 

"And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face."

What a compliment to receive from the holy pages of Scripture. God did something so wonderful in Moses's life. And it started with consistency. Consistency will take you far in the Christian life. Over history, God has used mightily the Christians that are consistent.

So knowing what consistency can do for you, I want to end with a simple fable.

Many of us know the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. The hare was much faster, much more talented, and much more gifted than the tortoise. He was confident that he could win with little effort. The tortoise, however, was slow. He didn't have the hare's speed or ability. All he did was keep putting one foot in front of the other.

As the race went on, the hare became careless. He stopped. He rested. The hare's biggest problem was his inconsistency. Meanwhile, the tortoise never quit. He kept moving, one step at a time, until he crossed the finish line.

The lesson is simple: Consistency beats inconsistency. The tortoise won, not because he was the most talented, but because he was the most consistent.

The Christian life is much the same. God is not looking for the most talented Christian, the smartest Christian, or the most gifted Christian. God is looking for Christians who are consistent.