Steadfast

Above all other elements of God's character, i'm in awe of his steadfastness. A simple search of the word came up with 224 hits in the ESV, most of which are proclaiming God's steadfast love.

However, many are imperatives for the Christian:

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. [1 Cor. 15:58]

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. [2 Thess 3:5]

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. [1 Tim 6:11]

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. [Titus 2:2]

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. [James 1:12]

And it makes a lot of sense to me why God would make it a priority to exhort his people to steadfastness. Simply put, we are fickle followers...me especially.

Over the past few years the Lord has been teaching me that though it is good to have high goals, the crown of life is not promised to the visionary, but to the man who remains steadfast. It seems like the Lord has consistently given me seasons of worship where he will instill in me desires and aims to do great things, but when those seasons change, the aims and goals get lost and forgotten. Like Lewis said, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." Though we cry out with Peter "I will die for you", like him, when trials come, we find that we are far from steadfast.

Yet, we must not be satisfied with our unstable hearts. We must take up arms as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. We must fight to be men who have a single eye fixed on the Lord alone. We must fight our flesh and the whisper in our ear that says "You have failed and will never amount to anything" and respond loudly "Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. Micah 7:8"

Let me be clear here, I don't want you to hear this like a drill sergeant ordering you to lace up your boots and get 'er done. By no means. I'm convinced that the steadfastness that the Lord commands comes only from the Lord himself. I think this steadfastness is achieved on ones knees before it is ever acted out on ones feet.

So I pray...Lord make us steadfast like You are. Then we will shine like stars and will truly be a city on a hill for all to see.