The Virtue of Self-Discipline Part 2/3

Part 2/3

The Virtue of Self Discipline

"The first and best victory is to conquer self."

— Plato

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

--- Jesus

      Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run  in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown  that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;  I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.   No, I strike a blow to my body  and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

--- Paul

The idea of self-discipline is not a uniquely Christian discipline but those with the Spirit of God living within them may have the added benefit of their creator helping to make them into a new creation which Paul promises in 2 Corinthians 5:17.  

1

The irony of this life is that if you don’t discipline yourself someone else will.  On the soccer field if you cheat, you may get away with it or you may get thrown out of the game.  In school, if you don’t study, you fail.  At home, you will never earn your parent’s trust if  you create habits of deceit and trickery.  

Jails are filled with people who have tried another way of life rather than one of self-discipline.  Unemployment lines are often places of entitlement rather than a last resort.  Marriages are suffering because individuals have lived a life of blame and shame rather than taking responsibility for their actions.  

2

So, the opposite of a self-disciplined life could be described as lazy, undisciplined, careless, untrustworthy.  Children try to gain their own way through pouting, throwing tempter tantrums, avoiding their chores, etc. but good parents pursue them and dole out the appropriate discipline.  Sometimes it may feel cruel to deprive them of what they wanted, but it is necessary to help them grow up.  There are many adults who are still engaging in this childish behavior.

Last year when I was leading Bible studies in a drug rehab house for men I got to watch as a man tried to make excuses for his behavior the night before.  He decided to ‘temporarily’ leave the program for a night on the town and justified it because he got back to the house within 23 hours.  His fellow housemates were furious and let him know how disappointed they were.  Unfortunately, he left for good a week later.  

3

A self-disciplined life has more freedom.  Sounds odd doesn’t it?  But schedules and a regimen will allow you to allot plenty of time for leisure and play.  Whereas being undisciplined you deal with a great deal of guilt over whether you should have done this or that.

When Randi, Forrester and Graham were babies, I built a fence to keep them from escaping.  They didn’t want to intentionally harm themselves...none of us do, unless we’re sick (more on that)  but as their parent I showed my love by building a protective barrier from the street and getting lost.  They learned self-discipline through our loving discipline.

I worked at a Mental Health hospital where children were not taught in a way that brought freedom:  They were beaten, locked in closets, deprived, starved, abused in many ways.  What did they learn?  They learned that they were junk.  They learned that life was cruel and they didn’t learn survival skills but ways to harm themselves and others through cutting, suicide,  and attempted murder, 

The cost of their behavior and what was done to them:  Locked down.  I told them “It’s not your fault that you are here, but you can begin to take responsibility for your life and get out.”  8/10 of them will either be institutionalized or go to prison and maybe 2 of them will get out and lead somewhat normal lives.

4

The self-disciplined person becomes a person of character:  Watch children from homes where there is strict discipline vs. lax.  What do you see?  The children from disciplined homes are polite, content, affable.  From undisciplined homes: rude, selfish, malcontent and unhappy.   

That ‘cruel’ behavior I talked about.  You know the discipline I inflicted on my children.  I don’t regret any of it, because I see who they’ve become.  They are far from perfect, but they know the truth because they’ve learned it from their parents.

 A popular teaching in society today is to allow children to naturally become who they were meant to be.  Therefore, parents should raise their children with a hands-off approach.  Let them develop their own values and see what happens.  I can already tell you what will happen because Scripture tells us who we really are:

Romans 3:10-18 

There’s nobody living right, not even one,

nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.

They’ve all taken the wrong turn;

they’ve all wandered down blind alleys.

No one’s living right;

I can’t find a single one.

Their throats are gaping graves,

their tongues slick as mudslides.

Every word they speak is tinged with poison.

They open their mouths and pollute the air.

They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year,

litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,

Don’t know the first thing about living with others.

They never give God the time of day.

This way of life is a dead-end...literally.  

5

But God desires us to have a hope and a future.  Everyone knows that verse from Jeremiah 29.  

And Paul reminds us in:

1 Timothy 4:7-10 

Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths. Train yourself in godliness; ⁸ 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. ⁹ The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

The choice is ours to make.  Will we randomly bounce from place to place, job to job, relationship to relationship or will we take responsibility for the life God has given us.  And here’s the final irony:  If we give our lives back to Him, He will give us purpose, joy and peace.