Discipline

What exactly is discipline? We seem to use the word many times in our lives and especially when it comes to our religious experience. We see discipline as being able to resist temptation of some form, like not eating that extra piece of cake at the party this month or being able to have a devotional time everyday. We also think of this word as ourselves, or our children, receiving some kind of punishment for some wrong doing. However, I would like to challenge our notion of what exactly this word means to us and how we actually make this word real in our day to day lives.
Discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. This definition also preserves the origin of the word, which is Latin disciplina, "instruction." So really it means to instruct someone to follow a particular code of conduct. So we learn that we need to accept instruction as it says in Hebrews 12:10:

"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

So we need to see that discipline is not punishment as much as it is instruction in our lives on how to live. So someone, our parents or God, gives us instructions to live our life in an effective and joyful way. I wonder how many of us say to ourselves, "I have not learned that instruction very well." If you do say that to yourself, this gets me to the other way to think about discipline - self discipline. We often think that if we have recieved instruction then we should be able to put it to use right away. We equate discipline with action. If we are disciplined we would not act like that. I know that I am rarely, if ever, able to make that happen. If I really want to put the instruction into action I must have great discipline and keep trying or in my terms - keep practicing. Too many people think that if they understand something they should be able to make it happen right now! Really it takes great discipline to get to the place that we put instruction into action. It takes great practice.

"Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul."

2 Timothy 2:14-16

This verse reminds us that we to continually repeat the basic essentials of our spiritual life over and over to each other and to ourselves. The point of recieving discipline and being disciplined is not to get it all right - right now, but to work on it day in and day out - moment by moment. We do not have time in quiet meditation daily because it is "just the right thing to do," and we need to ask God to give us what we want today. We have a "daily devotional," quiet meditation and prayer before God to examine ourselves and our thoughts to take them captive, to practice before the game begins, and prepare our hearts to act on the instruction we have been given. This is why there is a week between football games because the teams need time to prepare for the next game. They need to get the instructions from the coaches and practice them so they can do them in the game. So what are the instructions given to us as Christ followers?

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." Matthew 22:37-40

Spend some time each day practicing and being "disciplined" and recieving God's discipline. Spend time getting your instructions and practicing before you enter the game. Fully receive instruction for your Creator and receive God's grace (love), take captive your thoughts, and understand how to show love to others and be holy. Once we can be disciplined we can then have wisdom. More on this in the morning!

Namaste'