Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Discipline


God has been working me over lately. One of the big lessons He has taught me over the past several weeks is that "discipline" is not just a form of punishment.

This idea was a new revelation to me. After all, "discipline" is a corrective action you take against a person who has done something wrong, or so I thought. I have always understood the premise of discipline as a habit in my mind but somewhere in the recesses of my brain the connection was never made between my mind and my character.

Discipline, I have discovered, is a habit of action that adds value to our character. Many of us lack discipline both spiritual and physical and the result tends to be disastrous. I have so much more to learn in this area, so much more to understand. I don't know how long it will take or what is yet to be learned but I do know that by the grace of God, He has surrounded me with people who are helping me little by little become more disciplined in both my personal and professional life. I thank God for the people God has placed in my life that constantly pour into my soul the value of discipline.

I also know God has both saved me and redeemed me and that through Him all things are possible. I am a new creation and everyday God blesses me with a new day to become better than I was the day before. Each day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to add value to my character by becoming more disciplined. I hope one day I can become a person of substantial discipline and deeper character though I fear I it will be one of those things I struggle with for a while. Its hard to break 33 years of habit... but that's where discipline comes in.

1 comment:

Steve said...

For me it's been 38 years and I'm still working on it. An older, wiser man once told me that it lasts a lifetime, but it must be something we always strive for, even though it is never attainable.