No one likes to be called “predictable.” We view that as boring.
It makes us feel like we’re not our own person, that we’re just going along with everyone else, that we’re not unique. We don’t like to think that there’s anyone out there who knows us so well that they can say what we’ll do in any given situation. And a lot of times we even try to act out just to break that mold. The instinct is to rebel, to be their own person. To defy expectations.
There’s a story in Luke from when Jesus was 12 years old and traveling with his extended family down to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, and that on the way back, his parents realized he was missing. And after searching for three days. They finally found him in the temple listening to the rabbis, asking questions, and making observations about the law.
And when his mother Mary told him they’ve been searching for him all this time, Jesus responded:
“Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? (Luke 2:49)
Jesus was where you would expect
The implication of Jesus’ answer seems to be: “You know me, why wouldn’t you come straight here. Where else would I be?” Jesus clearly wasn’t like the other kids of his day who might have wandered off to explore the city, run through the markets, play with the other children in the city, or even wander around lost and without a plan as to what to do next.
And based on what we know of Jesus, his visit to the temple was probably consistent with how he had lived his childhood to that point. He was – or should have been -predictable.
To be clear – Jesus surprised people all the time. But that generally happened because people didn’t truly understand who Jesus was and the extent to which he was dedicated to his mission on earth.
The apostles were surprised when Jesus turned down the food that they had brought him, because “his food was to do the will of the Father.” They were continually amazed at the scope of his power, his compassion, and his understanding of the scriptures. Their greatest surprises tended to come when Jesus did not behave in a way that fit their preconceptions of what his mission should be.
But Jesus was always consistent in those things: his goal was always first and foremost to glorify God and to follow the Father’s instructions.
Creating a predictable character in Christ
We ought to be predictable people in our service to God. We’ve all known someone that we would describe saying “you never know what he’s going to do next.” Those people make for great stories. But can you imagine what it’s like having to depend on someone for help, and you just don’t know what you’re going to get from them? Dependability may sound boring, but we desperately need it in our lives. And we need it even more in our service to God.
What would our church be if we never knew whether any of us would be attending worship from week to week? Or if one of us had a financial need and we couldn’t be sure whether any of our members would step up and help? Or if the people in our community really weren’t sure about what sort of person attends worship with us because they never really saw a clear and consistent pattern in our lives?
Paul wrote a letter to a man named Philemon in which he said “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” Philemon was predictable to Paul, because Paul considered him faithful to God, and a man whose actions would ultimately match the character he was striving to reflect. Shouldn’t we be the person that when someone needs help, or encouragement, people would say of us “I know he’ll help out however he can if you ask him.”
I once heard someone make the point that “predictable” isn’t the kind of thing you want someone to call you in a relationship – it sounds like your best quality is that you’re just there. There’s nothing glamorous about showing up every day, doing what needs to be done. But there isn’t a single meaningful relationship in our lives that can thrive without it.
The Bible generally uses a different term for it, and that is faithfulness. The idea that you can trust someone to do the right thing, to carry out his obligations or act in a way that is consistent with his faith. The challenge for us is that we can’t pick and choose the times when we’ll be faithful. We’re either faithful all the time or we’re not faithful. For us to truly serve each other in Christ, our reactions need to have a level of predictability about them.
Do people have to walk on eggshells around me because they’re not sure how I’ll react to something? Maybe people are hesitant to ask me for help because they don’t think they can count on me to respond? For me to be a blessing to the people around me, I have to be someone worth counting on. I have to be faithful. I have to be predictable.
Service to God is full-time
And that’s hard to do because responding in a Christ-like manner isn’t something that varies depending on my mood, or the person asking, or the difficulty that a response will involve. Paul talks about being ready “in season and out of season.” It requires a mindset where I am focused every day on serving God, and on serving others.
We often think of predictability as easy, as comfortable. But in reality, if we’re living predictably Christian lives, it’s going to require us to be uncomfortable sometimes, to stretch ourselves – not to be in a rut but to approach each day as a fresh challenge. How can I serve God today? How can I be ready to help someone when the need arises?
We may not do everything exactly as people expect. But if we’re truly putting Christ first in our lives, we’ll always act in a way that reflects the character of Jesus. That part of our lives, at least, should be predictable. It won’t be easy, and we’ll probably fail along the way, which is why we are called to constantly be training for godliness.
