Hebrews 13:8 KJV Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Consistency, although is not mentioned specifically as a fruit of the Spirit IS all the fruit of the Spirit rolled up into one. No one filled with God’s Spirit should ever be inconsistent.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
If your faith is real, your life is filled with hope, free from worry. Faith is real if it is in something that is real. People that have faith in silly things have silly faith. God is real, so Faith in Him is Real. Because we know one of the five attributes of God is ‘never changing’ and our faith is ’never changing’ (consistent) because He is our only Hope.
Why do we at PureHeartChildren’sFund only have pictures of kids in Nicaragua? Because that is all we do. The children we work with learn God’s nature through watching us, studying us, and being received by us. God is consistent, so we are as well. God is kind, so we are. God is gentle, so are we. We are being conformed into Christ’s image
Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Our moods, bad days, feelings, illness, pain, fears, worries, sensitive areas, triggers, politics and concerns are not a child’s business to know. The same applies to pastors or teachers. Our moods, bad days, sensitive areas, triggers, politics and concerns are not any of our student’s or parishioner’s business either.
Our kids come expecting to be overwhelmed by Jesus’ love. People come to English class to learn English. People come to my Bible studies wanting to learn the Word. So we happily oblige. My opinion, attitude or emotions have nothing to do with any of what the people came for.
How you answer the phone or doorbell pretty much shows you the condition of your soul. Jesus pretty much told us how Christians should live in all of Matthew 10. But check this out.
Mattew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.
He said basically, a believer (or seeker) will receive you. A non-believer won’t. It’s clear. It shows the state of the mind. Sure we need to be cautious and have common sense, but remember you are to receive a man of God, not a convicted pedophile into your home. In my barrio (where tons of American missionaries live), they all send people to beg or need help of some kind to my house. That’s great! I want to be known as ‘that guy that consistently receives’. They consistently send them to us because we consistently receive them. Phil Aguilar calls it the ‘Spirit of Inconvenience’. You are consistently willing to be inconvenienced. The great moments of my life happened because I am consistently willing to be inconvenienced.
People (including myself) usually picture consistency as reading through the Bible once a year and a 3 hour time of prayer daily (which I love doing and try to
do.) That’s Dean’s consistency not God’s though. God’s consistency usually have to do with our ability to be nice to people, to be ‘that guy that receives’ even if it interferes with your devotions or quiet time with the Lord.,
It’s hard to be spiritually consistent (as in how we treat others). I’ve seen it in my own family, and close friends as well. Usually you never know who’s going to ‘show up’ when you knock on the door. As a pastor I made the huge mistake of receiving people into my home pretty much any time over the past 3 decades. My kids hated it and resent me for it to this day. My wife Winnie Peters got spiritually and physically ill. And I finally broke as well. Hopefully when I go home this time things will change.
Just because you don’t let them into your house in the middle of the night doesn’t mean you aren’t receiving them. It’s true but that’s extremely hard to explain, and people get hurt. Unfortunately they blame Jesus. It doesn’t matter though. You are being consistent to what Jesus says to do.
When you commit, stay the course. After praying about it, Yader Ruth Flores committed to helping me through this health inconvenience and never once did I catch an attitude. (Been here over a month now). Not one eye roll. Not one snide comment. Totally welcoming. (And I am like a bull in a china closet). Totally consistent.
Here are my ways to be spiritually consistent, welcome input
- Stay tuned in to God and His Word and Worshipping Him. Electronically is my method. I love www.Familyradio.org gently playing all the time. Do the Bible a year through blb.org audio visual
- Be a yes sayer. Unless an unquiet spirit I try to say yes to anything spiritual
- Be a servant. Try to help anyone in need
- Prayer without ceasing
- Prayer for others every chance I get
- Rest as much as possible. Rest leads to restoration
- Know that consistency breeds trust and confidence even if it bizarre
- Never ever quit. You don’t fail until you quit
- Knowing God and talking to others about Him
- Basque in God’s love and His presence
- Love one another as He has loved us.
As you consistency grows so will your grace and knowledge in the Lord
2 Peter 3:18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.