Becoming steadfast...

"Firmly fixed in place. Immovable. Steadily directed. Unwavering. Firm in purpose, resolution, faith." These are the words that define steadfast. How often I fall from that mark! I feel, especially recently, as if I am on the most tremendous roller coaster with more loops and ups and downs than humanly imaginable. Lately, God has been revealing to me how we were not meant to live this way. We were meant to live fearlessly, "though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:2-3) Do you hear that bloggin' friends? The world around you can crumble, but you are to remain calm. To me, that is quite a tall order that I am finding myself failing at over and over again as I try to fill it.

So, how do we become steadfast in our faith? How do we become so fixed in our belief in our God that we can watch a mountain completely disintegrate into the ocean and still feel overwhelming peace? Don't worry, friends...I've done the research for you. Here is your answer to steadfast living...

I've been studying the Psalms and while I haven't gotten to this one quite yet, I went ahead and skipped ahead to answer the question of how to not be whisked away on this roller coaster of life.

Psalm 112 says:
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn [d] will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

The short answer: Righteous living

Yep, I won't even charge you for that. If you truly want to come into a steadfast life (notice the word looks awfully like steady), you have to live righteously. Now, this will ultimately lead you to the next question, how do I live righteously?

Well friends, there is someone who wrote much more eloquently than I ever could on just that topic. In fact, He collected all the "how to's", "in case of emergency" and so much more into a convenient, pocket sized book. Yep. The Book of Life. The Good Book. The Bible. The ultimate guide to living a righteous life, the answer to how to live steadfastly.

I've found that as I am being pulled up and down by life's circumstances, the more I need the answer to living steadfast. The more I need to remain immovable, firmly fixed, and unwavering. Destruction will come. This is an unavoidable fact. There will also be times of great happiness and elation. In both these times of sorrow and joy, we need to remain the same in our faith. It is easy to forget God in both situations: in the good times we often feel as though we don't need God and in the bad, we often feel as though He doesn't need us.

I so desire to be steadfast. Unfortunately, God made me human and I often find myself being pulled to and fro as life circumstances happen. God keeps reminding me that in Him I can find true steadiness and that is what I must cling to: now and tomorrow.

Here's to becoming unmovable...

Until next time,
-C.