By Not Known
One of our members was awarded the finisher medal for the 116th Boston Marathon held on 17 April. (We’re proud of you!) Winning the race is one thing, for some finishing is totally another. Much have been written about finishing the race. But one aspect of finishing has to do with another character trait.
The questions below may differ but the answer is the same.
What may prevent extremism?
What stands out for people who are regularly successful in sports or in performance arts?
What is the anchor to good relationships?
What do parents need most at home with regards to discipline?
What makes you want to do business with a particular associate again and again?
Why do you frequent a certain restaurant?
What gives credibility to being a trustworthy person?
CONSISTENCY. Unwavering steadiness, some may call it. Others would say, predictability. In reality, you know that there is always a need for discipline to be consistently consistent. You can count on the person today or tomorrow just like yesterday. There would not be mood swings or fickle-mindedness. No matter what happens, the response from this person is always consistent, trustworthy, reliable and faithful.
This trait is also closely associated with people who are patient, determined, focused and “solid as a rock”. I would use the term “rooted” to describe him as well. No amount of discomforts would sway him. Ups and downs are dealt with decisively. Mondays are just as exciting as Fridays. Whether it was the beginning of the race or at the 40km mark, the mindset is the same, prod on one step at a time to the finishing line.
No one who is consistent just happen to be one overnight. It takes time, discipline and willingness to make sacrifices for the person to acquire consistency. Because it takes time and efforts to polish this trait, we need to start soon in order to get somewhere. We cannot wait till we need this character trait before we start working on it.
So, we need to learn to be like Jesus Christ who “is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). For Nehemiah, his job to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem was daunting but he kept at it consistently until the job was done.