Hope Reflected

Encouragement and Hope from God's Word

excellence Archive

Wednesday

17

February 2016

Hope Reflected: Consistency

Written by , Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

Even if we can't see it, every day there will be a sunrise and a sunset.

If you’ve ever lived near, or gone on vacation and stayed at the beach, one of the most exceptional experiences is to watch the sunrise over the ocean. There’s something so majestic about the slow, gradual spread of vibrant colours over the water. Everything is still, with the exception of a few morning birds and waves coming into shore. That’s the miracle of nature. Even if we can’t see it, every day there will be a sunrise and a sunset, day in, day out, week after week, month after month, year after year.

 

While change is inevitable, each one of us can make the choice to remain consistent – in our faith, relationships, and work. Aristotle once said, “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Let’s face it – you can’t create habits without consistency.

Three facts about the power of consistency:

  1. Consistency is one of the keys to success. There’s a difference in being persistent and being consistent. As the old adage goes, “If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it.” Consistent people are often more successful, and that’s a fact.
  2. Consistency requires patience. Greatness is never achieved in just one single act; it’s what we do with each day that we’re given that counts. Awesome achievements require time.
  3. Consistency proves people. Remember the saying “don’t trust words, question actions, but never doubt patterns”? We’ve probably all been there at some point or other. See #1, but someone who’s consistently inconsistent? Oy vey.

While it’s impossible for anyone to be as consistent as the sunrise and sunset, each of us can make the choice to be more consistent in the things that matter. And beware when you choose consistency – there will always be people who say consistency is boring or uninteresting. Those are shortsighted opinions. You can still be spontaneous once in a while even whilst you’re living with consistency!