The Power of Inconsistency

If you don’t take your antibiotics consistently for the length of time prescribed, your body will develop an intolerance to them.

If you aren’t consistent in the workplace, your coworkers won’t trust your ability or reliability.

If you aren’t consistent in your training, you’ll never run a marathon.

You’ll never become a doctor.

Your dog will never bring back the ball.

And if you aren’t consistent in your constant pursuit of the Lord, you’ll never grow in an intimate relationship with him or become a valuable asset to his kingdom.

Inconsistency has so much power.

It keeps us from so much.

And that’s exactly what I learned when God gave me a high school basketball team.

A lot like the other ways God has worked in my life, the opportunity to serve came up unexpectedly but in a way that - in hindsight - was perfectly orchestrated by the Lord.

While my husband and I helped the team financially when and how we could, we chose to serve the students and coaches by simply showing up—to afterschool practices, games and weekend events.

I’ve never liked or understood the game of basketball, but after I saw that the players didn’t have parents or other family members or friends who attended the games, the team became a priority in our lives.

Before I knew it, we were planning our weeknights around basketball.

I’ve always felt that God gave me a heart for others. But up until now, I only knew how to help in the short term—or really, for however long my time, finances and comfortability allowed.

I’d written checks, made meals and said prayers, but never faithfully considered the responsibility we have as Christians to walk alongside others for the long run.

The actual definition of “walk” is to move along; advance by steps. It implies that one is doing so in an unhurried fashion.

And as the hands and feet of Jesus, God expects this kind of persistence from us.

In prayer (Luke 11:9+10) & (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

In faith (Daniel 3:16-18) & (Hebrews 11)

In helping others (Galatians 6:2+3) & (1 Corinthians 15:58)

In loving others (John 13:34+35) (1 John 3:18+19)

During our time with the basketball team, God showed me the effectiveness of follow-through.

The effectiveness of endurance, stability, involvement, effort.

All of these are ways in which I want to be obedient to the Lord, but also ways in which we can love others out loud.

Louder than before; longer than before.

With the team, I felt there were no limitations on how God was going to use us.

I begged him to use our resources to help the players in whatever capacity they needed it—an afterschool meal, a bible study, a tutoring session, a ride home. I wasn’t letting anything in my life distract me from the team or the way we were getting to invest in the guys.

Or at least that’s what I thought.

But then, the coach left.

The coach who had been so instrumental in our involvement with the team.

The coach who had welcomed us with open arms and given us opportunities to serve in ways that no other public school would've probably allowed.

And when the following season began, it was clear that the new coaches didn’t want us.

The dynamics of the team were different.

Covid19 was changing things. I was newly pregnant.

The games were too far. The games were too late.

We made excuses.

We became inconsistent enough to the point where we were no longer making the team a priority or showing up at all.

And before I knew it, that period of serving was over.

Satan works best within the walls of inconvenience.

He wants awkwardness.

He revels in distraction.

He hopes for inconsistency.

He encourages complacency.

He feeds on excuses.

And from us, that’s what he got.

Oh, friend.

This is your encouragement, and honestly mine too, to continue the current work that God has set before you—even though it’s getting harder.

Even though things aren’t going your way.

Even though it’s making you feel overwhelmed or unqualified.

These “bumps in the road” aren’t always God steering you away from what you think he’s called you to do.

Sometimes these obstacles are just the reality of Satan’s existence and proof that he’s at work even in the seemingly routine, uncomplicated areas of our lives.

Satan, in fact, does use common inconveniences to instill in us the smallest seeds of doubt (Genesis 3:1), delay (1 Thessalonians 2:18) and distraction (2 Corinthians 11:3).

It worked with me. And I don’t want it to work with you.

God has given us our abilities, influence, lifestyle, environment and purpose so that we can use our opportunities to walk with others for however long they need it - for however long God is willing to use us.

I still pray for the basketball team at Escambia High School.

And, I still pray that God will make me brave enough to, next time, hang on for the long run (Joshua 1:9).

Because, in our lives, there will always be a lot going on.

There will always be something else to do or somewhere else to be.

But you know what's also true? There won’t ever be a season of long suffering, struggle, pain or unbelief experienced on this side of eternity that isn’t worth your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord.

When we stand before God at the end of our lives, I don't want him to ask us why, after hearing the gospel and giving our lives to him, we never made it a priority to follow through with a person who needed us, or more importantly, needed him.

Or why we were so easily distracted, exhausted and

inconvenienced.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

I’m praying that we can reorganize our lives so that Jesus is our center focus (Hebrews 12:2).

So that we won’t be too preoccupied to realize that our lives will ultimately mean nothing to us if we don’t finish the work he’s so graciously allowed us to be a part of (Acts 20:24) & (Ephesians 4:1).

So that we can be encouraged knowing Jesus has already walked these steps (Deuteronomy 1:30) and is forever faithful (Hebrew 10:23).

So that we’ll offer every part of ourselves; allowing him to shape us into the people he intended us to be.

So that one day when we stand in his presence, you and I can be called good and faithful servants (Matthew 25:21).

This is the power of consistency.