None of us enjoy doing things we don’t
like. Yet life is full of little things we have to do in order to be successful.
When we develop a lifestyle of discipline we put a life of reward in motion.
The pain of regret is far greater than the pain of discipline.
Discipline is an important character
to develop. The good news is we are never too old to be disciplined. When we’re
disciplined we invite God’s commanded
blessing into our lives. Not only are we blessed but looking at us, our
children can also have a head start in life.
Jim Rohn said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
Today we want to focus on three
important areas of discipline in which we all can come up higher. When you master
these you can expect growth and increase in every area of your life.
Discipline
in our thinking. This is the
most critical area of our life. The Bible says when we don’t have boundaries in
our wrong thinking we’re like a city without walls. Every one of us is tempted
to think negative, down and defeated thoughts once in a while. If we’re
constantly giving in to the negative thoughts about ourselves and others, we
will produce a negative life. Our thoughts are like seeds. When we are
disciplined in our thinking, we’re panting seed for a beautiful garden. Our
thoughts are like seeds. You can plant a flower garden or patches of weeds.
Both will grow and produce in abundance depending on the seeds you plant.
Discipline
in our speaking will produce
a positive life. Words are like watering the seeds we plant. Planting seeds of
beautiful flowers is a good start but speaking positive, life-giving words are
like watering our seeds. It germinates the seed and creates an environment for
life to blossom. Critical spirit stifles life but in the environment of positive
words people can thrive.
Another area of discipline is in our action. Many good intentions are buried alive
but a smallest act of discipline produces results. When we are disciplined with
our action we will reap a good harvest. For example, is better to save fifty
dollars a month instead of thinking, “I’ll
save big when the bonus check comes in.” It is better to walk around the
block of your neighborhood every day than to sit around thinking, “I’ll start my 5K run when a cooler weather
comes in.” Start where you are!
People need discipline in different
areas. Only you know the area you need to be disciplined. Instead of being scared
of the temporary sacrifice, focus on the rewards of discipline. Once we discipline
our lives in the ways of God we reap a harvest that is far greater than the
pain that comes from lack of discipline.
One way to start a disciplined life is
to create accountability. After you’ve identified the area you need to
discipline yourself, ask family members and friends to hold you accountable. When
we have friends and family backing us up, we’re more likely to develop a life
of discipline.
Today my challenge for us is to develop
a life of discipline. When we live a disciplined life, we invited God’s
blessing into our lives. What we sow we shall also reap. A disciplined life
will produce a life of peace, health and prosperity. Don’t just do it in your
own strength, ask God for the
power of His Holy Spirit. He is our Helper. When we discipline ourselves, we
will reap the fruit of its rewards.
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than
pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who
have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11
ESV).
No comments:
Post a Comment