Consistency

Dear Church Family,

Hello! I hope you all have been well and enjoying this beautiful spring weather.

I have an interesting thought that I would like to share with you this month. A few weeks ago, I was doing lunch dishes at the kitchen sink, absentmindedly pondering how many times in a day, week, month, lifetime...that I perform my duty of cleaning dishes. I was not having a bad attitude about it-just thinking about how it is an "always-there" job that needs to be done each day. Suddenly I heard the Lord speak ever so clearly in my spirit, "Success in the Christian walk lies in consistency." He began to expound to me about how being consistent to do what is right each day-to do the things I know to do with a good attitude-make more of an eternal difference than I can see in the natural.

I have been meditating on this thought for several weeks now. Sometimes being consistent is difficult. It is easier to take the path of least resistance and give into our flesh. It is easier to skip our Bible reading and prayer time to sleep in a little later, to let the house go while we scroll through Facebook updates, to watch TV instead of imparting into our children, to take a nap instead of exercising...the list goes on. And to consistently walk in self-discipline every day, every week, every month-what a challenge! However, we can do it, and we can do it successfully with the help of the Holy Spirit.

After receiving this word from the Lord, I began reading Rev. Mike Keyes' new book called "Be Strong, Stay Strong." Interestingly enough, the theme of his book is being consistent in your Christian walk. In chapter 2 he says that the Lord told him, " 'I will give you a....definition for spiritual strength. Strength can be defined as consistency of action.' " Rev. Keyes then went on to say, "Consistency of action will produce strength in our lives-there is no doubt about it. I believe spiritual weakness is a product of spiritual inconsistency." He says that there are seven spiritual priorities that a believer should perform every day:

1. Worship
2. Praise
3. Prayer
4. Confession
5. Meditation
6. Study and Reading
7. Sharing

After we have accomplished these each day, I would add to this list joyfully fulfilling our responsibilities as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and employees. If we will choose to be consistent each day, I believe we will outlast anything the devil sends our way and see our victory in the end. And each time we make right choices and prioritize what's important, we gain more and more strength.

Let's strive to be people who don't waver between being strong and passionate one day, yet weak and defeated the next! Let's be people who are well-balanced and strong of spirit, and who know how to consistently put first things first.

God bless you as you grow in strength in and through Him!
Pastor Rebecca,