Discipline
In ways our lives are made up of decisions and relationships.
Bad decisions: are painful but bring growth
Good decisions: move us closer to our destination
Small everyday decisions: it’s the small everyday decisions we need to bring more discipline to.
EX: Spiritual growth and your Time: what do you choose to do with it…
Big decisions: we usually go about with more discipline because they change the course of our life in a moment. But the little decisions decide what direction we are going to go and the rote to how we get there. If these little decisions are over looked we are not prepared for the big decisions. Or we are now making a big decision we should not have to be making.
TIME: Why is time so important? Because it is limited, it runs out, and Its not guaranteed.
We are not promised time.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. Psalm 39:5
Don’t waste away your life don’t even waste away a moment. Make disciplined decisions embrace life and go about it with purpose.
By no means do I have everything figured out but…
These 4 things play a huge role in living a disciplined life
Loyalty, self- control, complacency, and laziness
Read Proverbs: wisdom and discipline
Their purpose (the purpose of Proverbs) is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. Proverbs 1:3
Loyalty has been a rather new focus in my life.
Why? It could possible be the start to discipline.
First: loyal to our relationship with God. Most important
Second: Loyalty in our love for others
Third : Loyalty/ pursuit for our dreams.
Fourth: Loyal to ourselves; not allowing bad influences in and don’t allow excuses to dictate your life.
Loyal to our dream’s, loyal to what we want, loyal to discipline
Excuse hatch and grow: they create separation and can lead to death in relationships and death to our dreams.
Let loyalty have a strong influence in your life.
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Proverbs 3:3
Self-control or restraint: we all fall short in this, unhealthy life styles lead to un-disciplined decisions
A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Prov 25:28
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:7
Why do we despise discipline?? Because It is hard to make disciplined decisions.
We have the opportunity to make good decisions all day long… and yet we still choose to not lead an intentional life.
To learn you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. Proverbs 12:1
Disciplined lives build our character, reputation, and integrity.
We create our legacy everyday and if we are not disciplined with our day to day then we will look back at the end of our journey with many regrets, missed opportunity, and unfulfilled potential.
Complacency: Is cheating yourself out of your own destiny
Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me- to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. Proverbs 1:31, 32
If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Proverbs 15:32
Don’t be complacent. Don’t be ok with life just passing you by don’t reject discipline. You will blink and life will be over.
Laziness: It is easy and comfortable to be lazy, persistence and dedication is hard
Lazy people are soon poor; Hard workers get rich. Pro 10:4
Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
Laziness= poverty! Spiritual poverty, financial poverty, and poverty in your dreams. Don’t choose poverty. Work hard and be disciplined in every aspect of your life.
There are a few areas in my life: that I really try to be disciplined in
I have to exercise: Loyalty, self- control, and not allow complacency or laziness to sneak in. These are daily decisions.
Set your goal and desperately seek after it and don’t justify anything with an excuse.
Spiritual discipline: Our flesh is so weak… therefore I have to read my bible daily to strengthen my soul.
Our bibles are the word of Life. We have the power and the word of our living breathing God in our hands and most of us don’t read it. God is our daily bread. If we do not seek him daily we are not feeding our spiritual soul.
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Psalm 90:14
If we are disciplined with our relationship/ devoted to Him: we will be walking out Gods will.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23,24
When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my hearts delight, for I bear your name, O lord God of Heavens Armies. Jeremiah 15:16
*The only one who underestimates the power of your life in the spiritual realm… is you. God knows how incredible your life can be and how fulfilled you would be if you are obedient and live faithful lives. The Enemy also knows how destructive you could be toward his kingdom if you step into a disciplined and faith led life.
If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding in both realms; the earthly ream and heavenly realm.
Physical Health: I set my goal to work out 3 times a week. Don’t allow excuses to justify your circumstances.
Physical health is very important to me. I like to keep my body and soul healthy
Our Dreams: The tragedy of life is not death; rather, it is what we allow to die within us while we Live! Norman Cousins
… Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Heb 12:1
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
Dream big and don’t let your dreams slip away and be justified by circumstances. God gave us dreams and passions. We are destined to fulfill them if we decide to chase after them.
Being disciplined with my words:For our words either speak life or death. We are either creating or destroying. Words of the wise can bring healing and encouragement if we decide to speak them.
Don’t speak your words in vain. Don’t live a life full of words with no meaning and no action. For God knows where our loyalties lie. The Israelites gave God lip service; they lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep their promises.
David and Goliath. Not only does David have tremendous faith he also defies Goliath with his words and his actions.
David says “Today the Lord will conquer you… and everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 1 Samuel 17
Our words our powerful and carry a lot of weight and so do our actions. Speak words of truth like David did then act on them and run out to meet your Goliath.
Closing
“ Excellence cannot be had without experience and discipline, and therefore cannot be had by the very young.” C.S. Lewis
So don’t go about your life with a youthful foolishness take hold of it and reach excellence through training and discipline. Live out God’s glory through discipline. Our calling is to let the world around us experience our splendor and Gods abundant glory in us. For when the world experiences the effect of our lives, then we are walking in our true calling.
Our lives should stand out and our legacy should leave a flaming trail of heavenly fire.
Be relentless in your discipline with your time, decisions, and life.
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23
