Discipline

Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” NLT

I use coupons like a mad woman. If fact, I’ve held a few couponing seminars to teach others the methods that have proven effective for saving my family thousands of dollars a year. Some call me a cheap skate. I call myself smart. Coupons are a wonderful way to save money, and to me, it’s totally worth it. At one point, I was saving my family over $500 a month just by spending about 4 hours a week working on my strategies and plans. 

But there’s a catch. You can’t stop. When you first start, you don’t save as much because your bank of coupons/rebates have to get stocked. There’s not as many coupons in your stash as when you’ve been collecting them for a few weeks. If you miss a week of the Sunday inserts, you’ve messed up, and it’s sort of like starting over. Missing just one week of those precious legal counterfeit dollars is detrimental to your success. And it’s crucial that you are disciplined. If you just toss them all in an envelope and race off to the store, you will find yourself in a mess. Hours have to be spent preparing your plan, making lists, and reading coupon blogs in order to see the best deals. You may save some money with this method, but you will in no way see the same results as someone who has put in the time to prepare for shopping trip.

The author of Hebrews speaks in chapter 12 of God’s Loving Discipline. I was shocked to learn that there are at least eight definitions for the word “discipline.” While it can be used as both a noun and a verb, the indication is that discipline is used to make us better. Leading a disciplined life, receiving discipline in the form of punishment, and disciplining ourselves to learn a new skill all point to bettering ourselves for something else to come. It’s important, and the Bible speaks very clearly that discipline is a good thing, although painful. But Hebrews’s author is clear. The purpose of discipline is to make us more like Him. And it brings about a “peaceful harvest of right living.” Isn’t that a beautiful term? 

When we are lazy and unintentional in our spiritual lives, we need to expect the same results. Not devoting our time to prayer, Bible Study, and worship will only lead to a relationship that is stale and lacking in fervor. Where our time is spent will become the treasure of our hearts. 

Likewise, healthy living requires discipline. If we are intentional in our nutrition and exercise, we will see a healthy body. But if we are lazy and sloppy in taking care of His Temple, we will only see likewise results. Only exercising occasionally will not help if we are not disciplined in our routines. Slipping in junk food also does detriment to the good that we are trying to do when we prepare healthy food. But the painful discipline that we adhere to will only produce a wonderful harvest if we only persevere.

Do you need to cultivate discipline? The Scripture says that He will help us if we seek it. The Bible also says that discipline is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. 

Encouragement for Today

Proverbs 3:11-12 “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.” NLT

Proverbs 25:28 “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” NLT

Proverbs 12:1 “To learn, you must love discipline, it is stupid to hate correction.” NLT

1 Corinthians 9:27a “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should...” NLT