Leading lives of consistency

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Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.…"

(Nehemiah 11:1-2  ESV)

How do we live lives of consistency as young people in this busy,  fast paced, ever-changing world? Consistency is the quality of achieving a level of performance which does not vary greatly in quality over time, according to the Oxford Dictionary. To begin with , we live out this consistency exactly where God has placed us. We are needed in our community as a church and there are people with real needs around us.

What if we sacrificed our lives on a daily basis: celebrating  what God has done in us, by serving others and sharing the good news of Jesus? What if we intentionally stepped into the streets of Harare  or wherever we are and tried to make a difference?

In Nehemiah 11, we see a people that immediately after turning back to God and renewing their covenant with him in chapter 10, stayed consistent and began taking steps to fulfill the commitment by moving into Jerusalem. This was not an easy or a safe task, but one that showed their devotion to God, which they declared in the previous chapter.

What we learn from this is that leading  lives of consistency is not a one time  experience; but a lifestyle. We are called to sacrifice for God's mission and to be an example of Jesus to others consistently. It is easy to say you want to be more consistant with your walk  with Jesus after a great night of worship, but it is another to live it out in your daily life.

 "4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:4-6 KJV)

It is not fair to look at one side of the coin and not flip to the other. As we are looking at consistency there is a need to look at inconsistency. How does it feel when  you know someone's words are different than their actions?

In 1 John 2 we see a sobering picture of what consistency  is and what it is not. paraphrasing chapter 2 and putting it in our context, if one has put their  faith in Jesus and there is no outward change, no wanting to know him, no wanting to love the things He loves, and no caring for His mission with consistency, then that person should stop and examine their heart. You should stop and examine your  walk and relationship with Him, because something appears to be out of order. 

Our walk and growth in Christ will never be perfect....  so please do not hear me saying when we have the slightest mess up, we should question our faith. John says when we do sin, we have an advocate with the father, who has paid the price for our mess-ups and His name is Jesus. He has set the perfect example, which should serve to inspire us to strive for consistency in our faith.

As Paul says in Romans 6:1, " What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?' 

How consistent are you to the faith you profess?

Can you make a change today that will help you  live more consistently  for Jesus?

What areas of your life are showing inconsistency?

How can you make a change and focus on what Jesus is calling you to do