I know… ‘Resistancy’ isn’t a proper word. But I’m not just trying to sound clever. In my short experience of life I have found that there is a very clear connection between being consistent and being resistant. As the millennial demographic starts stretching way past the 30 milestone, it has become very apparent that longevity is something of a white elephant to us. Just look at some recent statistics:
- 44% of millennials want to be in a new job within the next two years or less. (The Conference Board)
- 71% of millennials are actively seeking a new job. (ICIMS)
- 93% of millennials left their companies after they changed roles in their jobs. (Gallup)
Kind of crazy, but so true. Now just before you think I’m jumping on the ‘hater’ bandwagon, I believe many of these statistics are great – as it forces employers to consider how they are treating their employees. Intentional environment creators are flourishing with a younger workforce. But I do see the trend of ‘easy change’ going far beyond the workplace and that is where things get concerning.
In the Bible, we are instructed to ‘resist the Devil and he must flee’. But society has taught us – through bad parenting, hugely diversifying markets and ‘social consciousness’ that excuses rather than engages with issues – to not resist anything. The motto of Western culture especially seems to have become: “If it looks good to you, try it.” Imagine telling that to a toddler. Yet there seems to be this ‘coming of age’ that marks you exempt of any kind of discipline (whether from yourself or from others).
If we are going to last (let alone create anything that lasts) we are going to have to change the narrative. These days stocks rise and fall, empires are built in a day and crash down in seconds – but we don’t have to be the same. It’s time to get resistant. When last did you consciously resist something? I’ve been eating healthier for the last three weeks and it was extremely hard in the beginning to resist the urge to reach for the KFC my housemates were eating in front of me (thanks guys…). I’ve had to resist the urge to run to coffee first thing in the morning, and have had to resist sleeping in so that I’d have enough time to make and eat breakfast. Without the tight elasticity of discipline, there is no way we could become consistent people in society.
“And why would you want to be consistent?” you may ask.
1: For yourself
Be honest – it’s exhausting being a mercurial emotional mess. Flopping from one whim to the next is not only expensive financially, it costs your soul and it also costs you credibility with those around you.
How would you define true success? Being rich? Being comfortable? Being ‘happy’?
I would like to propose a better definition: being whole.
Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes you have to fall on your face to change who you are. Sometimes you have to be uncomfortable in order to get what you truly want. An overnight success can become a split-second failure. The longer you take to build yourself, the stronger and more durable your life will be. Don’t wish for the ‘magic moments’. Pray for the power of process.
2: For others
I have found that trust is an endangered concept among my peers. How many people can you truly rely on? If you left the country for a year, who would you entrust your plants to? If you had to leave work for a few days, who would you trust to maintain your portfolios without taking them on as their own? Consistency is a sorely scarce and vital quality that is needed everywhere: from the home to the head office.
Consistency is not only to do with showing up, it’s also shown in your attitude. Are you consistently hopeful? Consistently critical? Consistently encouraging? You have the ability to set the atmosphere when you walk into the room. People will always want to be around you if they know you will be consistent. I work with a whole lot of young people who desperately want to know that there is a stable place where they know they can come and be accepted. Consistency of character and a reliable schedule when it comes to my leadership is key to helping them find hope in their situation.
3: For the future
Our generation is drunk on the phrase, “you’re the future”. It’s an ideal that may seem aspirational, but is definitely not helpful. The only way any of us will amount to anything worthy of looking forward to is by focusing on what we have right now. Consistency is the secret ingredient to success in your future and in the future of the world. What are you investing into these days? Where do you use the currency of time? Where does your money go first? Where is your energy being focused? If you consistently invest into things that are good, your future will be respected.
But let’s be honest – we are way better at being consistently bad. We can be consistent in our inconsistency: we can consistently be moody, hotheaded, prideful, argumentative, flippant and disrespectful. Just as consistently choosing honorable things in life will result in respect, consistently choosing selfish, shortsighted options will result in mistrust and disrespect. It’s your choice which one you choose. I would encourage you to resist – to fight the norms of today and choose to be consistently dedicated to things that are good, pure, honorable and just.
The only way I believe this is completely possible is in the love of God. His love for you is the most consistent truth you could ever know – and if we choose to receive that love, we are enabled to be consistent in everything we do. If you would like to know how you can know this love, click on the link below to find out more.