For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)
The Scripture often warns us of the danger of squandering our gifts and resources through a lack of discipline. We might have great plans and dreams, but we will only crave success (not taste it) if we don’t discipline ourselves.
What is discipline? Discipline is simply the consistent application of focused, unyielding effort to fulfill a particular practice (or set of practices) in order to accomplish a specific goal.
So often, I hear people ask ‘why is discipline so difficult’? Discipline isn’t easy, but we make it way more difficult than it has to be, because we exclude God from the process. We sometimes have the mindset that we can make it on our own, and will only bring God in…if things fail.
Nothing of any significance has ever been accomplished without discipline. That’s true both in the physical and spiritual realms. It doesn’t matter if your goal is to work on your diet and lose weight, go back to school and get your degree, learn how to swim, build up your savings account, quit smoking, anger management, or to read through the Bible in a year. As Christians, we are called to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit within us for the discipline to stay the course.
How does a team like Christian Education Center for Excellence (CECE) practice discipline? Their disciplined national director as a leader and team members know that their time is valuable. And so, they respect this. They focused on what is important. Situations sometimes could be scattered, and nobody knows what’s coming up next. They do over their best to solve unforeseen challenges. It’s all about communication. A good leader knows how to be clear and concise in the way she communicates. Thus, they get things done by communicating effectively. And as they continue to be committed, they follow through their sincerity to fulfill their tasks, and they build discipline.
What bridged between our goals and accomplishments in our 1st Year’s 12 episodes? It was everybody’s genuine efforts to align our actions and behaviors with our thoughts. We resisted the urge to give into negative thoughts and instead focus on the positive to make sure we deliver. This is called DISCIPLINE. With God’s grace and help, discipline was used to inspire us to keep our Lord first and foremost, cleaving to Him regardless of the circumstances.
Everyone paid attention (ATTENTIVENESS) without needing to hear directions several times. It helped greatly in focusing without being distracted with other thoughts or actions. Winning situations came because we recognized authority and directions (OBEDIENCE) from our leaders. Set of rules were ORDERLY followed. Our CONTENTMENT came from within through the work of the Holy Spirit. Instead of complaining about what we didn’t have and how they were hindering us, we were GRATEFUL and worked with what we had.
In a time when lying is a commonplace, it certainly is not something new. As God’s people, we had to be TRUTHFUL. We need to say what we mean and mean what we say and to represent the truth in all matters.
Can we say that we never hurt or wronged one another? Life includes this pain. FORGIVENESS has always remained our antidote to infection of resentment and bitterness. What Jesus did on the cross is the only thing that frees us from unforgiveness. This needed MEEKNESS, which is in no way a weakness. Our might was put under the control of the Holy Spirit. Also, we think before we act, so we did not rush into something that might put us into wrong track. By understanding CAUTIOUSNESS, we gained the best information and advice before we made our decisions.
Our real moral fiber is developed through our FAITH and REVERENCE to God. The value of reverence and fear of God is relevant in our day-to-day life. Ultimately, our SECURITY is based on full confidence in the work of Christ and not our good deeds or lack thereof. We want to express our deep sense of adoration, awe, and recognition of His sovereignty and love. Truly, the evidences of the goodness of God are at work around us.
In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7)
Like Paul, we too, are called to press toward a goal in our spiritual journey, and in other aspects of our lives. In any pursuit of discipline, we must have a clear goal that drives us in times of struggle and opposition. When we commit our goals to God, that not only provides more motivation, but it helps us to keep focused as well.
Similarly, our desire to enjoy deep fellowship with Christ, grow in holiness, bear spiritual fruit, maintain our joy, and sharpen our ministry skills will—as they are fueled and guided by the Holy Spirit—strengthen our efforts to discipline ourselves.
And when we give our lives to God, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us, and we receive divine power and help from above to do things that we couldn’t do otherwise. That includes discipline.