So let me explain why I want to talk about a word that is commonly considered dull and boring. It isn't a word that is used very often these days - except in the classroom reading Shakespeare perhaps! The word is steadfast, and for me it is anything but boring. Why on earth do I feel that this word is worth contemplating - let alone worth writing a blog about? Well, it came to my attention as I was reading this scripture:
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, secure and steadfast." (1 Peter: 5:10)
Why was I reading this verse? I was reading this particular verse because it is one that has encouraged me a lot over the past months. Sometimes I get into the habit of thinking when life gets a bit much, that I have to go through a process of doing and saying all the right things in order to make myself a better person. The truth I've learnt though, is that I don't have to make myself immune to struggles and keep a 'stiff upper lip' when the going gets tough. I think that's another big misconception of steadfastness. It isn't a form of arrogance telling you that you can do everything yourself independently. It's a dependency upon God Himself who restores us and makes us strong, even when we don't feel like it! All we have to do is remain steadfast. What does this word literally mean? That question occurred to me too, so I Googled it :)
Steadfast: unswervingly devoted, loyal, constant, resolutely determined, confident.
My favourite definition was this one: Loyalty in the face of trouble or difficulty.
I was trying to think of an illustration for steadfastness and I suddenly thought of a 'trusty steed'. That one horse that you can always rely on to carry you off into the sunset away from danger! Haha
Everyone has troubles and difficulties in their lives, so why is being steadfast so important?
It's not really something we 'do' as opposed to something we are. As soon as we believe that God is restoring us, especially during the hardest times, we're trusting Him and we're remaining loyal to Him. We're saying, God - I'm with you on this one. I want to be on the winning side in this battle and I'm confident that we're going to win. Here's another little verse:
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." (Isaiah: 26:3)
To be steadfast is a life-long pursuit. I would say that you can only conceive of how steadfast you have become at the end of a difficult period in your life. It is something that you grow into which is displayed through the way you live your life. In the moment of being steadfast, you are rarely thinking "It's time to be steadfast again so that I will be saved." That would be considering yourself responsible to fix things - which you can't do. You are simply believing and trusting that God will always save you and is sticking with you through thick and thin!
Next time a thought comes into your head that tells you you can't get through your circumstances and you are always going to fail, just tell God that you trust Him and that you know He is restoring you into the person you are meant to be. The peace that comes from that is so refreshing! And that peace will remind you that you are strong, secure and steadfast.
To be steadfast is to have peace in the knowledge that God is steadfast - we will grow in loyalty and dedication toward Him when we realise that he is 100% loyal and dedicated to us. That sounds like a win/win situation to me!
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