A Longing for Consistency
The world around us seems to be in a state of constant flux. Popular trends are constantly changing and evolving. Cultural norms are being stretched, reimagined, and remade. The newest technology seems to be rendered obsolete the minute it leaves the store. The world we live in today breeds an environment and attitude of change. There is no doubt that my generation understands this concept as well as anyone. So many of my friends and people I know around my age are constantly changing jobs, churches, and locations. Heck, I attended four different colleges before I graduated so I am not exempt from change. A common theme amongst us all is the desire to know “where we should be” and how to serve the Lord (in most cases vocationally). Behind the search for God’s will is a desire for some semblance of consistency.
Consistency seems to elude many of us. They say that if you do something for 21 days straight, it will develop into a habit. I can’t seem to do anything consistently for more than 3 days. And when Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to “be joyful always, pray continually,” I realize I am quite far from that type of person. So what keeps us from being people of continual prayer or men and women who constantly seek out God’s Word? I think part of the problem is the mentality we have regarding prayer, bible study, and other spiritual disciplines. We see them as a waste of time because they are not tangible or don’t yield tangible results. No, many of us would not say that in words. However, our lifestyles would say it for us. The priority we place on our own efforts and works tell the story. Because our “actions” seem to produce real results immediately, we place our faith in them practically. When something doesn’t seem to work right away or patience is required amidst any situation, we immediately go to something else until we find what “works.” All the while we are ignoring the most important things we can do each day.
Is our faith real? Do we truly believe that God exists and that Jesus died for sin so that we could be reconnected to the Father? Shouldn’t that impact the way we live and how we spend our time? Shouldn’t it yield a change in our priorities? Change is inevitable. The greatest change we can experience is in a new birth through Jesus Christ. If we wake up each day determined to pursue Jesus in all that we think, do, and say, then we will begin to see that the consistency we long for lies in a God who never changes. But until we really know God, we will never understand this truth.