A 3″D” Relationship with God (pt. 3) – Discipline

The third “D” to a 3- D life with God is Discipline. I’m sure the very word produces a response in you. The reason I know that is because it produces a response in me – and most of the time if I am honest the response has something to do with guilt.

For many of us the story of Discipline has a common thread woven throughout our different experiences. You desire to be physically healthy – but you’re unwilling to work hard at it. You desire to know God’s Word – but you are unwilling to discipline yourself to set aside a time in the day to focus on reading and meditating on it. You desire to be financially free – but are not willing to say no to the designer jeans that everyone else has. You desire to be patient with your kids – but when you have found yourself saying 15 times “Please – share with your Sister” – it’s on the 16th time that unfortunately you loose our cool.

There are so many things that I desire to do in my lifetime – but at times I am just plain unwilling to put the hard discipline to the test to make it happen. But desire without discipline usually turns into dead dreams. It’s in the small and the big moments of life that I need discipline when I want that iced lemon loaf at Starbucks that would go so well with my coffee…to the courage that comes from disciplining myself to work hard at raising all of the necessary funds to start Soul City Church.

I was reading in proverbs today and this simple verse jumped out…

“Slack habits & Sloppy work are as bad as vandalism”
Proverbs 18:9

Wow – do I really believe that – do I really believe that my sloppy and flabby disciplines are as damaging to the personal property of my soul, as vandalism is to a building or home. I would be crushed if someone came into my home with a baseball bat and ripped through my rooms destroying what has become a sacred space for me and my family. I would be angry, sad, hurt, and would probably desire a certain amount of justice to be served.

Why don’t I have equally strong emotions when it comes to my sloppy disciplines. A vibrant and transforming relationship with God will require not a sloppy discipline – but one that is fueled with a steadfast faithfulness and commitment to the task of training your soul to do what was originally put within it to do.

So why don’t you try this simple exercise :: God I will discipline myself to….
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Here is what I wrote:

God I will discipline myself to have some significant conversations this week with some key people that are in the process of praying about their connection to Soul City Church. God I will discipline myself to drink more water – I confess my love of coffee – but I know coffee all day is not good for my body! God I will discipline myself to put my cell phone and laptop away from 4:30 – 8:00 so that I am present with my family. God I will discipline myself in my writing this week – I will complete a chapter by Monday. Because I believe that desire without discipline usually turns into nothing more than dead dreams.

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