Discipline

If I were to look over the past many months in these blogs, I would expect to find many posts that target personal discipline. It's because it is so critical for our life with God.

There are areas of my life where I am more undisciplined than I want to be. I am undisciplined in my personal health care, which means I don't exercise as I should nor do I pay as close attention to my diet as I really need to. It's not that I am overweight or unhealthy or even out of shape, but I do not have the discipline to be in the best shape or my ideal health. I need to work at that. I also am not as disciplined in my personal finances. I try to save, yet want so desperately to consume instead. I try to prepare for the future, but the present keeps getting in the way. I think about my own needs, but my children's needs take priority. So my savings, my generosity, my finances take a hit, and with them so does my anxiety. That means when we just roll with life then our actions are more truly reactions and we are never fully prepared for what is to come. Then we worry (even subconsciously) about what comes next.

Lack of personal discipline creates chaos in the spirit.

This is as true for our spiritual lives as well. If we are not paying attention to God, through reading the scriptures, study, prayer, meditation, daily focus and trust, then we are giving up the spiritual life to fate and that leads to spiritual death! "Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end." (Proverbs 5:23, Msg)

Lack of personal discipline creates chaos in the spirit. (yes, I meant to say it again!)

I don't write this today to point a finger at certain people, especially not you! I recognize that whenever you point a finger at anyone, you have 3 fingers always pointing back at you. (try pointing your finger at the screen, then turn your hand over and see if there aren't 3 fingers pointing at you?) In other words, I'm still working at my personal discipline of prayer and daily trusting in God. O sure I understand what I need to do. I believe in what should be done, but sometimes my heart just isn't in it.

And that's the problem. The heart is where the action begins!

It's when we change the heart, engage the heart, that our disciplining process gets back on track.

Sometimes we just have to dig deep and just do what needs to be done. And then expect God to move in us. Or in other words, if we want God to change our heart, we have to start by asking!

Peace ><>
pc