“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control [self-discipline].”
– Galatians 5:22
I recall writing prayerfully in my journal one morning a few years ago about how to get unstuck from a rut. I felt I had reached a plateau. I wanted a bit of divine inspiration that would propel me forward. I prayed, then listened for God to say something like, “Valorie, don’t worry. You’re doing all the right things. Just be patient.” Sure that I was indeed doing “all the right things,” what other message could there possibly be for me? I listened for an answer, and the one I got was not what I wanted to hear. It was one simple word that kept coming to me over and over: Discipline.
“Discipline?” I thought. Sometimes I forget that God has a sense of humor – even when we’re not looking for a laugh.:) Although discipline wasn’t the word I wanted to hear, it was certainly the one I needed to hear. The message was simple: “Valorie, if you’re going to go to the next level, you need more self-discipline.” Immediately, I pictured less freedom. More work – hard work. “Discipline” isn’t a sexy topic. It does not sound fun or exciting, but being disciplined is a key that unlocks potential, prosperity and freedom.
We can sometimes buy into the notion that following our passion is supposed to be fun and exciting, but living purposefully is also a journey of character-building and evolving into the person you always knew you could be. The process is not always fun, but it does bring us rich rewards. I took an honest look at my life. It wasn’t bad, but “not bad” was not the goal. Admittedly, my schedule was a bit unruly. I managed to get a lot done, but with very little structure in my life, I was feeling scattered and ineffective. While I was not excited about embracing more discipline, I knew a change was needed. What I discovered in the process is that discipline is not about taking things away, but about giving you what you truly want.
This week, I challenge you to take an honest look at an area of your life where you know you are not living up to your potential. Consider the five key areas of your life: Relationships, Health, Work, Finances and Spiritual Life. Perhaps you need to exercise discipline when it comes to eating junk food or watching television instead of going for a brisk walk. Perhaps you need to be more disciplined by leaving the office on time so that you have more time for yourself, family and friends. Maybe the area where it’s time for more discipline is spending. It’s time to take control of your finances by increasing what you save each month, taking steps to increase what you make and decrease what you spend. You know the area of discipline that’s calling you. Your next step is to embrace the change, then enjoy the reward.
My challenge to you this week:
Make a decision to practice self-discipline. Remember that in order to have what you’ve never had in your life, you must be willing to do what you’ve never done.
Journaling Question:
In what area(s) of your life do you need to exercise more discipline? What specific, disciplined action are you willing to commit to for the next seven days? What permanent shift do you want to aim for? Leave your comments below, I’d love to hear from you!
