DISCIPLINE

DISCIPLINE

FOCUS VERSE: Hebrews 12: 11 - No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.   Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  

DECLARATION: I embrace discipline today; it shapes me into a stable builder in God’s kingdom.  

Discipline shapes character:  Discipline is not punishment; it is training.  God disciplines those He loves because He is shaping them into maturity.  If  He doesn’t discipline you   you are an illegitimate child.

Hebrews 12: 6 - God disciplines the ones He loves and chastises every son whom He receives.
Proverbs 12: 1 - Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.  
2 Timothy 1: 7 -  God has given us the spirit of power and of self-control.

Without discipline talent collapses under pressure.  Character matures where discipline is practised on a daily basis.  Let us take the example of those persons in the sports field.  Every athlete trains daily with discipline to produce the best result even when there are no competitions or tournaments.  Discipline trains you for battles you cannot yet see.  An army keeps itself in good physique by training daily with rigour and discipline even when there are no battles in the near future.  

Discipline creates spiritual strength: Spiritual life is nurtured through consistent habits.  Prayer, Scripture reading, obedience, are not to be occasional acts.

1 Cor. 9: 27 - But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Joshua 1: 8 - Meditate on the word of God day and night.
Luke 9: 23 - Take up your cross daily and follow me.

Consistency multiplies spiritual authority.  You may not see results in your prayers in a week, month or even for years, but being consistent in prayer and faithfulness brings great rewards.  Daily discipline shapes spiritual depth.

Discipline protects your future:  Undisciplined lives drift to trouble easily.  Discipline creates boundaries that guard destiny.  

Proverbs 25: 28 - A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
Gal. 5: 22 - ……..self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.
1 Timothy 4: 7 and 8 - Train yourself to be godly; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  

When discipline guards your life, many unnecessary problems do not get a chance to arise.  Many people do not seek God or even consider Him necessary until they fall into a big problem.  If you are disciplined and consistent in prayer, His presence will be evident  in the midst of your trouble.  A train runs only on a railway track to move forward smoothly and without hindrance.  We too, should have a track in our lives that we may not fall off and perish - discipline keeps us on the right track.

Discipline leads to long-term fruit:   Over the years man’s attention span has decreased to a great extent that he seeks instant gratification in everything.  People seek quick success - get rich quickly.  But God works through consistent growth.  Small acts of obedience repeated daily create powerful harvest over time.  

Gal. 6: 9 - At the proper time we will reap a great harvest if we do not give up.
Psalm 1: 3 - That person is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  
James 5: 7 - Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  see how the framer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  

Discipline today becomes a blessing tomorrow.  A musician practises for hours and hours daily that he be fluent with the notes to put up a perfect performance.  Private discipline produces public excellence.  I encourage people of all ages to train themselves in discipline in their spiritual and earthly life.  

God bless you all!