Question 1

What does stability in life look like?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 3:13-15Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.”Psalm 33:11The Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.Psalm 62:2He [God] alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.Psalm 93:2Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past.Psalm 121:3-4He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.Psalm 143:10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.Isaiah 14:24, 27The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath: “It will all happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided. . . . The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”Isaiah 26:4Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.Matthew 7:24-27“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”Hebrews 6:17-19God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.Stability is a condition of our heart and mind, not a lifestyle built on tentative and constantly changing factors. It comes from a growing relationship with God; it is built upon the eternal foundation of his solid character. Stability is not determined by our circumstances, which constantly change and we cannot predict. Stability is determined by the changeless principles and promises of God, which allow us to respond to any circumstance with strong faith and confidence.

Question 2

What are the keys to finding and maintaining stability in life?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 37:24Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.Psalm 40:1-2I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.Proverbs 14:26Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.Isaiah 26:3You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!Ephesians 3:17Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.Colossians 2:5-7Though I [Paul] am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.1 Peter 1:21Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.We must nurture a personal relationship with God. He promises to keep us steady through the chaos of life.Psalm 21:7The king trusts in the Lord. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.Psalm 66:9Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.Psalm 125:1Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.Hebrews 3:14If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.Hebrews 6:18So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.Hebrews 10:23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.1 Peter 5:9-10Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.We must trust God’s promises and review them often. They never fail. We are to learn what they are, and then live with the certainty that they will happen.Deuteronomy 5:32So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail.”Deuteronomy 28:9“If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do.”Psalm 17:5My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you.Psalm 63:8I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.2 Timothy 3:16-17All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.Matthew 7:24-27“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”We need to study and obey God’s Word, the Bible. We must put its principles into practice. If we love God, we will love his words and desire to obey them.Psalm 15:5Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.Proverbs 10:9People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.We must live with integrity. Integrity is stability of character. We must be known as people who keep our word, who always try to do what is right, and who immediately make corrections when we realize we are wrong. Then our lives will move a stable direction; others will trust us because they know they can count on us.Proverbs 28:2When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.James 3:13If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.Consistently making wise choices is a key to stability in life. We must dedicate ourselves to becoming wise by spending time with God and wise people. Wisdom from God glues the pieces of our lives together and helps everything make sense.Psalm 37:34Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.James 1:2-5Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.James 5:8, 11You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. . . . We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.We must be patient when life isn’t going our way. The fulfillment of God’s plan is rarely early and never late. Waiting for him to act is a sign of stability. In the meantime, we are developing endurance.Proverbs 4:26Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.1 Corinthians 15:58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.1 Corinthians 16:13Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.We must be committed to persevere in our faith no matter what. We need a plan to serve God and avoid temptation. Lack of commitment is the first step toward the breakdown of stability.1 Corinthians 15:58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.We are called to enthusiastically serve God, knowing our work for him is worthwhile. This will bring stability to our daily activities.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Proverbs 10:25When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.Proverbs 12:3Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.We should make every decision as we think Jesus would, acknowledging him even when we don’t know what he would do. Godly choices are not always about what’s best for us, but what is best for God’s plan and for others. Following and obeying God builds stability because God is changeless.Proverbs 29:4A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it.We are called to be just in all our dealings. Injustice tears communities apart; justice glues them together. Justice brings stability to a family, a city, a nation.Ephesians 6:13Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.2 Peter 3:17You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.We should be prepared for attacks from Satan, our enemy. Wearing God’s armor and developing skill in its use gives us stability as we engage in spiritual warfare.

Question 3

What are some benefits of stability?

Accepted Answer

Romans 4:20Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.Stability leads to increased faith.Psalm 33:21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.Psalm 112:1Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.2 Corinthians 1:24That does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.1 Peter 1:8You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.Stability leads to and increases joy.Psalm 112:7They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.Isaiah 26:3You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!Stability supports and leads to peace.Galatians 5:1So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.1 Thessalonians 3:8It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.James 1:25If you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.Stability allows us freedom to receive God’s blessings.1 Corinthians 15:58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.Hebrews 10:23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.Hebrews 12:1-2Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.Revelation 3:10“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.”Stability supports the growth of enduring strength and courage.Colossians 1:22-23Now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.Acts 20:18-27When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.Stability supports our confidence and faith and gives purpose to our lives.Hebrews 3:14If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.1 Peter 1:13So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.Revelation 3:21“Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”Stability will ultimately lead to victory and reward.Proverbs 14:26Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.Hebrews 12:13Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.Our stability has a positive affect on others.Psalm 20:7-8Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God. Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.Psalm 40:2He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.Psalm 119:61Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.Proverbs 10:25When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.Philippians 1:27Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.Stability supports our ability to resist evil and effectively share God’s Good News.

Question 4

How does instability affect me and others?

Accepted Answer

2 Peter 2:14They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.Instability makes us vulnerable to sin and to leading others into sin.Proverbs 13:17An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing.Isaiah 30:12-14This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down. You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—shattered so completely that there won’t be a piece big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well.”Instability invites trouble into our lives.Psalm 41:9Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.Isaiah 2:22Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?Jeremiah 17:5This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.”Instability leads us to disappoint others.2 Peter 3:15-16Remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.Instability invites misunderstanding or the twisting of God’s Word, which leads to disaster for God’s people.Job 8:13-19“The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate. Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure. The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden. Its roots grow down through a pile of stones; it takes hold on a bed of rocks. But when it is uprooted, it’s as though it never existed! That’s the end of its life, and others spring up from the earth to replace it.”Isaiah 31:1What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.Hosea 10:2The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. The Lord will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars.Long-term instability usually leads many to eternal destruction.