This month I want to focus on maintaining self-discipline. This truly is something that I think many Christians – myself included – need to work on because it is the backbone of a healthy relationship with God.
Introducing this Month’s Topic…Discipline
I’ve been around church for a long time and the one common thread I see throughout many of the great and awesome stories in the Bible and personal stories from great men of God started when a man of God listened to the voice of God and did something uncomfortable.
I’m reminded of Bible characters like…
- Daniel – who ended up in the lion’s den because of the discipline to pray in his life
- David – who killed the giant because of the discipline to sing psalms to the Lord daily.
- Jesus – who ended up on the cross for you and me because of the disciplines of self sacrifice.
And this list could go on and on. Basically, any great man or woman of God in the Bible started their journey by a choice to be disciplined.
Discipline Defined
(1) train (someone) to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.
(2) train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.
Discipline (Oxford Dictionary)
This series focuses on the second definition for the word discipline which is to “train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.”
Show me your HABITS and I’ll show you your FUTURE.
Someone
Jesus didn’t wake up one day and just start His ministry. He was 30 when He started and spent the first part of His life studying, building habits and preparing Himself – so should we!
Our Goal: BE LIKE CHRIST
Philippians 3:10 KJV That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Our goal is to be exactly like Christ Jesus on this earth. This requires discipline…
Conformable? What??
If you’re like me, you’re asking yourself, “What does conformable mean?”
Conformable (symmorphóō)
properly, sharing the same form from embodying the same inner (essential) reality; to be conformed to the glory of Christ.
Greek Definition
After we received Christ into our heart, we gained the same inner reality.
Galatians 2:20 KJV 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We have the same inner reality as Christ Himself because he lives in us, but it requires discipline to be conformed to the glory of Christ.
The Enemy to BEING LIKE CHRIST…YOU
Have you ever heard the phrase, “I’m my own worst enemy”? Well quit!
A friend told me this a few weeks ago and it stuck with me.
Do you know how you stop a strong man? Make him doubt himself. Get out of your own way.
I was working on a work project and it wasn’t going like it should. I knew what to do, but I had allowed myself to doubt my own experience in the area.
There wasn’t a guarantee I was right, and the client made a good argument, but I just knew it wasn’t going to workout if we kept down the current path.
My friend told me this…
Do you know how you stop a strong man? Make him doubt himself. Get out of your own way.
And it worked, I got out of my own way and just did it. Turns out my only real problem was doubting myself – won’t make that mistake again.
Get out of your own way
- Galatians 5:1 KJV – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
- Galatians 5:17 KJV – For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
- Galatians 5:24 KJV – And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
These verses are just a few verses I had highlighted in my Bible referring to things YOU have to do. You’re the enemy of your own success, but you don’t have to be!
Let’s Do This!
This blog post is really just the introduction to this series on maintaining self-discipline.
I spent 3 hours studying for this series and have 3 pages of straight notes of things the Lord spoke to me about. I promise you it’s important to get yourself out of the way and stay disciplined.
God will handle the rest.
If you missed our post from last week you can check it out here.
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