The Disciplined Life

The disciplined life is not an easy road to follow. In fact, living a life of discipline may cause arguments, frustration, persecution, and plain ol’ drama. When we choose to live a life differently than those around us, we’re daily faced with the challenge of practicing what we preach. Whether it’s our addiction to the internet/cell phone/social networking, our battle between being healthy and wreaking havoc on our bodies, the struggle of relationships and making them work, or even just the fight to keep our quiet times with the Lord steady and focused – dedication to the commitments we’ve made is one of the biggest battles we face. Why is it so easy to fall into the trap of laziness or the “I’ll get to it later” mentality? Simply put, because everyone around us is doing it and there seems to be a lack of follow through on our decisions. The world is constantly knocking - waiting for us to follow suit... but should we?

As I've been reading through the book of Proverbs (my all time favorite book of the Bible), over and over the call to gain wisdom, understanding and live the disciplined life keeps screaming at me. I'm the type of person that commits to something only to turn around and break the commitment "just this once". Well, "just this once" has a peculiar tendency to transform into "oh it doesn't matter" inevitably leaving the discipline behind and failing, yet again, to finish something for once. I am so that person, even down to the books I read - I just can't seem to finish anything. And I get frustrated with myself and throw everything that was a temptation away only for it to somehow resurface in another form a week later.

However, over and over in scripture we see how blessed the lives of the disciplined are. Those who diligently keep their promises, even when it hurts and causes them to stretch and grow in a way they never have before. Proverbs 8 is a good example, "Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don't squander your precious life. Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day's work. When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of God's good pleasure."

Discipline, my friends, leads to finding life, real life, that only God can give. At this point in my life, my lack of discipline lies in my health and eating habits, for one. I've got quite the sweet tooth and so I'll start down the path of eating better, yet still find a way to track down that stash of chocolate deep within the cupboards. Or, exercise. Now there's something that I get just plain bored of. I hate repitition, the same thing, over and over and over again, to the point that I'd just prefer to not do it. But the fact is that I feel better and am healthier by doing so. And these two examples are the LEAST of my worries, yet I can't seem to figure out how to discipline myself enough to actually follow through on them.

The story only gets worse as I take a deeper look at myself and the inner workings of my soul. I'm the people pleaser, I'm that girl that says "yes" to anything while thinking, "what the heck is wrong with you??!!? Why did you just commit to that?!?!" So I go to the opposite extreme in an unfortunate attempt to make myself more grounded - and say no to everything. How does that solve the problem? I have no idea... but it's discipline, right??

Then Proverbs 5 just throws it at me again, "You don't want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones, Saying, "Oh, why didn't I do what they told me? Why did I reject a disciplined life? Why didn't I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? My life is ruined! I haven't one blessed thing to show for my life!"'

Man can I relate to that, each day it seems that I find something that I regret doing or not doing (the sins of ommission and commission). Yet, instead of relying on Jesus for my strength and asking Him to make me grow and become better in certain areas of my life , I decide to just take things into my own hands. And every single time, He reminds me that if I want to succeed in my life, He has to be the center of it. Without Him, I'm nothing. And He even gives us ways in which we can grow in our character and being able to follow through on issues - being disciplined in everything. Through simply having good friends who speak truth into our lives, diligent mentors that pull us back to reality, or His still small voice in the quietness of the morning - He gives us the tools to choose the disciplined life. If it's that easy, then why don't we? Simply put - we hate being called out. And so we beat around the bush or make up excuses, but what we really need to do is put our pride to the side and start asking for discipline...

Ask and Receive.

Ask God to remind you of the ways in which you need to grow. Ask Jesus to illuminate paths for you to escape the temptations of this world. Ask the Holy Spirit to prompt your heart to desire more of His power, than your own. And receive peace that transcends all understanding, power to overcome the dauntingly impossible, and perseverance to live the disciplined life each and every day.

I'll end with this. Discipline is not the only answer, in fact it's just a simple piece of God's growing puzzle. Discipline, although necessary, is a portion of what we're called to be and do as Christ followers in today's world. We're called to have good character, to learn more, to be patient and kind, to be generous, to build into the lives of those around us, and most of all to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE others - even those that are the hardest to love. With Christ - ALL of the above is possible, and more. We just have to dedicate to living the disciplined life of waking every morning with the Word and prayer, living as Christ's ambassadors on earth, and desiring/asking for His desires to become our own - that His road would be the road of our lives.

"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books." – II Peter 1