Consistency Wins

Consistency Wins

Few things in life are more boring than consistency.  It is not trendy, nor is it flashy.  However the results speak for themselves.  Consistency wins.

Most of us are familiar with the story of the tortoise and the hare.  How is it that the lowly slow-moving tortoise wins, in the end?  It is the power of consistency.  The tortoise does not get caught up in the hoopla surrounding the race, nor does it become distracted like the hare.  It just keeps moving forward.

In all aspects of our lives the greatest victories we gain will primarily come over the long run, not in the short-term.  Our Christian walk is the faithful journey through life overcoming the difficulties we face by clinging to the hope that we have in Jesus.  It involves consistently praying, engaging in worship, and serving others.  Ultimately the victory occurs in, of all places, death.  When we release our last faithful breath then we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus.

Likewise, to win with our health is a long-term proposition requiring the power of consistency.  If we want to maintain or improve our health it does not occur overnight by wishing or speaking it into being.  A healthy outcome is most often associated with a healthy lifestyle where choices are consistently made for the better path.  This may mean changing your alarm clock to an earlier setting to get up and get your day started with exercise, or going to bed earlier to get more sleep.  It often means a more thoughtful and consistent approach to food as fuel, not the feeding of the "pleasure principle".  Personally this is my biggest struggle in the health arena, I LOVE to eat, and, as with most of us, my preferences are not always for the healthiest foods in the fridge.

Winning with our money follows a similar path.  The big winners more often than not are those who look to finish strong by making small choices to defer short term or instant gratification for something larger and more substantial at a later date.  This means taking considered reasonable steps over the course of our working lives to seek a bigger future win.  This does not preclude the possibility of having some victories along the way such as some fabulous vacations, a comfortable home, or practical vehicle.  It does however mean that there may be times where you pass on taking a vacation to concentrate on some other aspect of your well-being, or that rather than purchasing your "dream home" at 25 or 30 that you pinch a few pennies and live in a comfortable home that has elements of your dream while building your financial house to better allow you into the "dream home" without jeopardizing your stability.  Do your homework on finance and live a crock pot financial life rather than a microwave life.

I could go on to touch other areas but will stop here for now.  I am sure you are beginning to see my point here.  The lies of the world regularly try to get us to make snap decisions by distracting us with the "shiny prize" of the moment taking our eyes off the better prize that can be had down the road.  Don't be distracted.  Consider what it is in all aspects of your life that is the substantial, lasting prize that will bring joy to you, then don't be wooed by the "fools gold" that will surely come to steal your attention.  

If you will set a course and consistently seek it you can achieve great things.  It takes faith, vision, and understanding.  Each of these can be found in Christ, and the beginning and determined fostering of this relationship will help lead you through the battlegrounds that will lie ahead.  Take charge by letting go and letting God consistently lead you, and your paths will not always be smooth, but you will never lack support and consistency will become easier to practice.

Today I speak to myself as well as each of you, seek consistency!  It is a primary ingredient in the recipe for success.  When we practice consistency in seeking our goals we will Do Well.