CONSISTENTLY
By: Pastor Brian Huff
The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
Proverbs 10:30 AMP
On our summer youth trip last year, I gave my latest Bible to one of our students in the ministry. It was one that I had been marking and putting notes in for the past several months. After giving it away, I started looking for a new Bible to mark up and give to the next person God lays on my heart. I found one that I’d purchased several years ago for comparison of different scriptures. It is a parallel Bible with four different translations of Scripture. I determined to read the Amplified Version all the way through, then start on another translation after that. As I was reading my daily chapter in Proverbs, I noticed a trend. Almost every time the word “righteous” was used in the book of Proverbs in the Amplified Version, the words “uncompromisingly” or “consistently” were used as adjectives. It was as if it was saying, “This promise isn’t for just the righteous, but for the consistently righteous.” This started to make me wonder: Is there such thing as inconsistently righteous? If so, how many promises do we miss out on because of that one important adjective?
As a parent, have I been a consistent father to my two children? If not, how do my children know how to approach me daily? Do they wonder if I’m “happy dad” or “angry dad” today? How about my wife? Does she wonder if I’m “attentive husband” or “distracted husband” today? Does my boss wonder if I’m “hardworking employee” or “lazy employee” today? Do I lose trust because I lose focus? Do I lose friends because I lose attention?
I know these are tough questions, and maybe I am being a little hard on myself. I remember the words of one of my best friends, Lee Sandlin, when he told me, “It’s not what you do that makes you a man, it’s what you do consistently.”
In my journey of life, in striving to be righteous I want to make sure I am also being consistent. With my faith, time, tithe, prayer, integrity, wisdom, seeking, forgiving, patience, love, and respect—I want to be consistent. I pray against distraction. I pray your life, as well as mine, reflects the consistency of our Savior. Thank God that He is the same always! He never has mood swings or changes in His behavior. He is consistently righteous!
The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
Proverbs 10:30 AMP
On our summer youth trip last year, I gave my latest Bible to one of our students in the ministry. It was one that I had been marking and putting notes in for the past several months. After giving it away, I started looking for a new Bible to mark up and give to the next person God lays on my heart. I found one that I’d purchased several years ago for comparison of different scriptures. It is a parallel Bible with four different translations of Scripture. I determined to read the Amplified Version all the way through, then start on another translation after that. As I was reading my daily chapter in Proverbs, I noticed a trend. Almost every time the word “righteous” was used in the book of Proverbs in the Amplified Version, the words “uncompromisingly” or “consistently” were used as adjectives. It was as if it was saying, “This promise isn’t for just the righteous, but for the consistently righteous.” This started to make me wonder: Is there such thing as inconsistently righteous? If so, how many promises do we miss out on because of that one important adjective?
As a parent, have I been a consistent father to my two children? If not, how do my children know how to approach me daily? Do they wonder if I’m “happy dad” or “angry dad” today? How about my wife? Does she wonder if I’m “attentive husband” or “distracted husband” today? Does my boss wonder if I’m “hardworking employee” or “lazy employee” today? Do I lose trust because I lose focus? Do I lose friends because I lose attention?
I know these are tough questions, and maybe I am being a little hard on myself. I remember the words of one of my best friends, Lee Sandlin, when he told me, “It’s not what you do that makes you a man, it’s what you do consistently.”
In my journey of life, in striving to be righteous I want to make sure I am also being consistent. With my faith, time, tithe, prayer, integrity, wisdom, seeking, forgiving, patience, love, and respect—I want to be consistent. I pray against distraction. I pray your life, as well as mine, reflects the consistency of our Savior. Thank God that He is the same always! He never has mood swings or changes in His behavior. He is consistently righteous!