For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief – Proverbs 24:16
The thirty-minute creative writing session began when the instructor uttered a prompt word: “Consistency.” Gazing upward, pencil softly patting her mouth, Paula pondered the word, then began filling the paper with fond memories of her grandparents’ sixty-three-year marriage. Paula recorded her mother’s stories about them as parents and their enduring love for each other. Paula’s final sentence included her decision to carry on her family’s legacy of love and support.
Consistency is repeated behavior by choice and, in some cases, the enforcement of disciplinary measures. For Christians, it’s rooted in our commitment, like Joshua’s: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15), and our trust to be given grace to help us live in alignment with God’s will.
Consistency is a vow that begins with genuine desire manifested in diligence that isn’t disqualified by mistakes and shortcomings. But the readiness to seek God’s forgiveness and support to rebound and realign whenever we stumble.