Discover Self Discipline

“Without a vision the people cast off restraint” Proverbs 29:18

Ever felt a failure because you lack the discipline others seem to have? While others have disciplined prayer lives, diets, spending habits or exercise regimes – you just can’t seem to work up that will power! It’s so frustrating.

It will make you unhappy too, because people who lack self-discipline are never happy with themselves.

But there is a secret to discipline. It is true that some are simply wired to think in disciplined patterns more naturally than others. Some have learned certain disciplines by practiced behaviour. But there is a third secret to discipline that just may help you:

Discipline comes from vision. 

Get a vision, and you’ll become disciplined – without even thinking that you are!

People with a vision get out of bed thinking about the vision. They pray to fulfil the vision. They seek God because they need His help. They save money, get fit, give up time or leisure or even change their diet because they have a vision.

The hope that springs from vision, will spark disciplines and restraints in you, that you never thought possible.

You see, without a vision we “cast off restraint” the NIV version of the Bible says. That means that purpose puts power and healthy restraints in our lives. We live better, if we are living with purpose.

The New Living Translation says that purposeless people “run wild,” while The Message version says that visionless people “stumble all over themselves.”

It is clear that vision, purpose and calling release us into a new kind of living. In fact, most of the frustrations young Christians have with their spiritual maturity is simply because they are lacking purpose. It is impossible to live the Christian life well, without knowing the reason for that Christian life. To “live a life worthy of the call” (Eph 4:1) you must know that call!

Knowing God’s call comes from listening to His voice or from serving and experimenting with purpose in our church teams. It also comes from knowing what excites us and what angers us (There are things we are born to change, so we feel passion and frustration about them).

All these point to God’s purpose. And once His purpose begins to burn in our souls, we become unstoppable!

Action Point: Is it time to seek God for a new or clearer sense of God’s purpose in your life? One great way to do this is to get a paper and pen and begin to write out what you think God might say to you about who you are, why you were born and what He wants you to do in life. Ask God to speak as you write, then meditate and ponder the results.

A Fusion of Humanity & Divinity

It would be unreal for us to pretend that even as Christians, we don’t all face the conflict within, of our broken humanity colliding with tremendous divine potential. Even the most mature of Christians can be godly, powerful, graced and dignified one minute, but so aware of our brokenness, sinfulness and need for mercy the next…

Read More Here

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