By Joe Chesser
I have said it many times: “The only thing I am consistent about is being inconsistent!” Being consistent is one of the most difficult things in life. That’s understandable because we are all humans and humans mess up. We make promises we do not keep. We have good intentions that are not fulfilled. We say we’re sorry and will never do it again, but we do. We are hypocritical and don’t always speak the truth or tell how we really feel. We say one thing and do another. We repeatedly miss what we aim at. We are up one day and down the next. That’s why I say we are consistently inconsistent … but probably not all the time.
One thing that makes Jesus so amazing is that he was never inconsistent. Never! He was constant. He never made a promise he failed to keep. He never pretended to be something he wasn’t. He always spoke the truth. He always lived the truth he spoke. Jesus’ enemies could never find fault with him or trap him in his words. Even at his illegal trial when his false accusers contradicted each other, Jesus consistently spoke only the truth. As one writer said about Jesus, “the messenger and the message were always the same.” The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13.8). How awesome it is to be able to rely on Jesus’ unchanging ways, to always be with us, to always be our anchor through good times and bad.
Our goal as Christians is to be like Jesus. We are called to leave our human nature behind and work toward the high calling of taking on the nature of Christ. Read Ephesians 4.22-24 and Philippians 3.12-14. Of course that involves many things: unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5.17), consistent hospitality (Hebrews 13.2), assembling for worship (Hebrews 10.25), always giving thanks (Ephesians 5.20), keeping your head in all situations (2 Timothy 4.5) etc. In other words, be as consistent in word and deed as possible. “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15.58).
Yes, we’re all consistently inconsistent. But we don’t have to remain this way. We should never resign ourselves to be content with our humanness. Instead, as Christians we can grow and develop into becoming more consistently like Jesus every day. Our goal is to attain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4.13). Hopefully for us, the message and messenger will be the same.
I have said it many times: “The only thing I am consistent about is being inconsistent!” Being consistent is one of the most difficult things in life. That’s understandable because we are all humans and humans mess up. We make promises we do not keep. We have good intentions that are not fulfilled. We say we’re sorry and will never do it again, but we do. We are hypocritical and don’t always speak the truth or tell how we really feel. We say one thing and do another. We repeatedly miss what we aim at. We are up one day and down the next. That’s why I say we are consistently inconsistent … but probably not all the time.
One thing that makes Jesus so amazing is that he was never inconsistent. Never! He was constant. He never made a promise he failed to keep. He never pretended to be something he wasn’t. He always spoke the truth. He always lived the truth he spoke. Jesus’ enemies could never find fault with him or trap him in his words. Even at his illegal trial when his false accusers contradicted each other, Jesus consistently spoke only the truth. As one writer said about Jesus, “the messenger and the message were always the same.” The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13.8). How awesome it is to be able to rely on Jesus’ unchanging ways, to always be with us, to always be our anchor through good times and bad.
Our goal as Christians is to be like Jesus. We are called to leave our human nature behind and work toward the high calling of taking on the nature of Christ. Read Ephesians 4.22-24 and Philippians 3.12-14. Of course that involves many things: unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5.17), consistent hospitality (Hebrews 13.2), assembling for worship (Hebrews 10.25), always giving thanks (Ephesians 5.20), keeping your head in all situations (2 Timothy 4.5) etc. In other words, be as consistent in word and deed as possible. “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15.58).
Yes, we’re all consistently inconsistent. But we don’t have to remain this way. We should never resign ourselves to be content with our humanness. Instead, as Christians we can grow and develop into becoming more consistently like Jesus every day. Our goal is to attain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4.13). Hopefully for us, the message and messenger will be the same.
- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ,
Fruitland, MO. He may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com
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