Staying Steady

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)

One of the key lessons of the Christian life is learning to live steady.

Praying with patience, asking for endurance, disciplined for the long haul, resilient and defiant, hopeful, trusting, faithful, and determined—we must learn to live steady.

Our focus should not be on attempting everything with speed and strength, but with steadiness. Not everything fast, but attempt everything faithful.

This is the discipline that we have to nurture because we are all in the race of life and no one is exempt from it. It’s not strength that determines the quality of our finish. It’s not speed either. Both of those things can be halted, hindered, or hampered.

But I tell you, it is hard to still the steps or destroy the vision of a child of God who is determined to stay steady even if the ground shakes beneath them or the enemy tries to block them. It’s hard to defeat a determined disciple when endurance is the offering they bring to their human pursuits.

There’s something about the commitment to living steady that helps us to cross the bridge that separates our plans from God’s providence. You will make more progress. You will accomplish more. You will achieve more. You will become what is more enriched and vibrant and complete and robust.

I’m not denying that it’s possible to nurture strength and develop speed, but staying steady is the crucial component for finishing well:

• Waking up every day to honor your spiritual gifts and to glorify your sovereign God.
• Treating people with grace and mercy in your everyday exchanges.
• Not being so quick to become angry or easily pushed to a place of wrath.
• Speaking the truth in love.
• Taming the spiritual tongue.
• Leaning on empathy and compassion.
• Trusting God with all your heart.
• Forgiving others because you can’t forget that you are forgiven.
• Opening doors for people because every door you open for them pushes you into the next tier of opportunity and potential.

We all have learned that speed and strength and wisdom and cleverness and skill can help, but they don’t guarantee success. The secret lies in staying steady.