Devotion Saturday, July 28, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

“Keep consistent”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

Do not associate with those given to change… Proverbs 24:21 (NKJV)

Consistency is something all good businesses strive for, because they understand a consistent experience and product is going to lead to repeat business. People buy 550 million Big Macs every year because they’re a consistent product. They may not be good for you, but people feel good about buying them. Why? Because they know what to expect from them. Consistency breeds confidence.

The exact opposite is true, as well. A lack of consistency will lead to a lack of confidence. And this truth is never truer than when it comes to a person’s character. Someone whose character is constantly changing and flip-flopping can’t be counted on or trusted.

Proverbs 24:21 warns us against associating (literally “bonding” or “braiding together”), with those who are “given to change”…who lack consistency in their character. The warning is attached to the fact that we’re heavily influenced by our relationships. And when a relationship produces a sense of uncertainty instead of confidence, it can have damaging effects.

Not only do you question whether you can count on the other person, often you are led down the same path of unreliability. Because you’ve chosen to connect yourself to an inconsistent character, it becomes impossible for you to maintain a consistent character yourself. You’re at the mercy of the other person’s whims, and consequently people won’t find you to be trustworthy or reliable either.

When choosing friends, your spouse, a business partner, or any other close relationship, make sure consistency of character is one of your criteria. Don’t settle for someone who changes direction so often that you can’t count on them, because it will eventually leave its mark on you. God places great value on a person’s yes being yes and their no being no  (Matthew 5:37). We should do the same.

He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6-8 NKJV)