For most of us, life can go one of two ways. The thief’s way or Jesus’ way.
Here’s what I mean…
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
The King James translation says that last line like this: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” And the NLT puts it as, “a rich and satisfying life.”
This text isn’t saying that life isn’t going to be hard. It doesn’t say you’re not going to go through hard times. It doesn’t say you’re going to strike it rich at some point of your life. But it is saying there are two ways your life can play out. One is the enemy’s way, where he will steal, kill, and destroy the good in your life, and the other way is Jesus’—where He helps us make the most of it.
The enemy’s way is the world’s way. It’s culture’s way. It will steal, kill, and destroy your identity, your purpose, and your impact.
But Jesus is saying here that there’s another way. If you will live your life His way, the way He instructs through the Bible and His teachings, you will make the most of your life.
Whether we’re old or young, new to life or been around the block, we want to make the most of the short time we’re given.
The way we do that is through consistency. The Bible uses a lot of different words for consistency, like steadfastness or faithfulness. Whatever you call it, the point is that as followers of Christ, we’re called to be steady, making the most of life in the good moments, the bad moments, and the minutes in between, continually walking with Jesus and living the way His Word commands us.
Excellence, and especially excellence in Christ, isn’t a one-off act, but a habit. It’s faithfulness in the same direction, throughout the course of our lives.
But what are we called to be consistent in? I believe there are two key areas: Seeking His presence and seeking His purpose.
Not just on Sundays. Not every once in a while. But daily.
When I say “seek God’s presence” I mean getting into the Word of God, the Bible. It’s taking time to pray alone, getting quiet, reading the Bible, and listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
This is just another way to say we’re called to seek God’s will for our lives. It means asking Him, what would you have me do in this situation? Where would you have me go? Who would you have me reach?
Then listening for the answer—and acting on it.
The first, seeking His presence, leads to the second, seeking His purpose. But for some of us, the reason we don’t feel like we know God’s purpose for our lives is because we’ve stopped consistently seeking time with Him. We’re confused about His will, but it’s because we’re separated from the vine.
The goal then is simple: Not to be consistent and fruitful for a season, but for a lifetime. To finish this life, to finish our ‘race’ well. Because anyone can start a race, but it takes consistency to finish it.
Most of us are familiar with the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. But the historical context and lead up to that miraculous moment are just as powerful.
Here’s a quick recap of the lead up to Daniel’s big moment:
At the time of Daniel, the Babylonian empire had come in and taken over the region. They wiped out Israel and Judea, ransacked Judah and Jerusalem, and took Israel’s brightest, youngest, sharpest, and healthiest people into Babylonian captivity. Once there, King Nebuchadnezzar trained them in Babylonian customs, education, language, politics, and culture.
One of the men who had been taken into captivity was Daniel, and he was just 17 years old at the time. Three of his friends were taken too: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
That gets us to Daniel 3, the incredible story of the big statue and the fiery furnace.
At this point, none of the government officials like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego because God’s favor and anointing were on them. King Nebuchadnezzar loved them and continued to promote them up through the ranks of government, but that created some tension and jealousy among the other members of government, especially as King Nebuchadnezzar put them into positions of authority and power. The men who had been in government for many years did not particularly like seeing these new young guys rising through the ranks and having true influence over what King Nebuchadnezzar did. So they started attacking their character, their religion, and their belief system.
Eventually, the government officials convince King Nebuchadnezzar to build a statue of himself and call the people to bow down in worship to it, showing their allegiance to the king. In fact, at the sound of the trumpet, if you didn’t bow to the statue, they passed a law that required you to be thrown into the fiery furnace as punishment.
You can see where the story is going—at the trumpet’s sound, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego don’t bow down, and they’re thrown into the fire. But there’s a fourth man in the fire with them, and they come out untouched. They don’t even smell like smoke.
King Nebuchadnezzar realizes in that moment that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the true God.
Now fast forward to Daniel 6, the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. By now, many years have passed and Daniel is believed to be 80 years old. Babylon has been overthrown by the Persian Empire and a new king, King Darius, is running the show. Daniel is still well-reguarded and is in a high position of power—and the government officials don’t like it.
Daniel 6:4-7 says this,
“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, ‘Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.’”
Jumping forward to Daniel 6:10,
“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”
Daniel shows us that he consistently sought the presence of the Lord three times a day for 60 years. There were new situations, new chapters in his life, new rules, rulers, and challenges. The circumstances of his life were not ideal. But he is the perfect example of how what you do daily determines who you become permanently.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says,
“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.”
The goal for us, if we want to be consistent for a lifetime, is to be fruitful and faithful, day after day.
When it comes to life, some of us just aren’t producing anything. We may be “present,” showing up to life, but we’re not producing fruit that’s admirable, good, kind, faithful, or helpful.
Remember:
If we call ourselves followers of Christ, we should stand out—not fit right into culture. It should be clear, like it was with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that there’s something different about us.
How do we make the most out of this life? By following Christ all our days, not just some. By being a good neighbor day in and day out, caring for the people around us. By seeking the Lord and His will for our lives over and over. By staying faithful when it’s easy and natural, and when it’s hard or inconvenient.
Here’s the truth: The reward for consistency is a life of significance, and there’s nothing more satisfying than a life lived significantly with God.
Psalm 1:1-3 says:
“Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.
And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].”
If you’re going to make the most of this life, you have to be consistent in following the Lord all of your days—staying desperate for His presence in good days and bad.
In Daniel 6:10 it says “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”
Daniel had already been in Babylon for 60 years—essentially a lifetime. He had been in a godless, heathenistic place, surrounded by a culture that wasn’t his choosing. But he didn’t complain about it or let it change him. He continued to pray three times a day, even though he knew it would cost him everything.
When we’re in an environment that isn’t our choosing, that’s not an excuse to let go of your consistency. Even when we don’t like where we are right now, we’re called to stay consistent. Like Daniel, who didn’t let Babylon change him, we’re called to follow Christ even in a world that’s backwards and broken.
Like Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
In other words, don’t let Babylon affect you and be the reason you can’t thrive, but thrive in your Babylon. Shine like Jesus said you’re called to shine. Live your life to the fullest, even when your situation isn’t ideal.
Remember, we can be consistent because we serve a God who has always been consistent. He will never quit us, never leave us, and never fall away from us. He hasn’t forgotten you, He sees you, He knows you, and He has a purpose for your life.
If you will become consistent in your life, despite your environment, daily seeking His presence and His will, you will make the most of this life you’ve been given.