DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CONTROL

August 19, 2009

Good Morning!

“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.” 1

Like it or not, discipline and self-control are basic to spiritual growth and maturity: “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness…But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control” (I Tim. 4:7b NAS; Gal. 5:22a, 23b).

If we in our world of touchy-feely me-centered Christianity resent and resist restrictions in the name spiritual liberty, we may want to consider St. Paul ’s analogy of spiritual maturity to two great Greek festivals, the Olympic and Isthmian games: “You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself…“ (I Cor. 9:24-27 Msg. Trans.). (See 2 Tim 2:5)

Paul implores us to “run to win.” Unlike the Greek athletes, ours is for an imperishable prize: “…God…has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you…I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (I Pet. 1:3, 4; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8 - Selected).

Athletes in training gain control over their minds and bodies and place themselves on a strict regimen. Paul, in like manner put himself on a rigorous routine of discipline, lest he be shelved (in terms of effective service.) (I Cor. 9:27) In Romans 8:13 the Apostle gives us the means by which winning over the flesh is possible: “If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

The reality is that the imperishable requires discipline and self control just as the perishable: “…Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us” (Heb. 12:1b NLT). As followers of Christ, whatever good we may accomplish, whether in education, business, the arts, our marriage, sports, our walk with God - you name it, can only be achieved through these twin virtues as we are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (See Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:16)

Many of us started out on our pilgrimage with Christ with enthusiasm and a deep sense of devotion. Somewhere along the way however, we “broke training” as the flesh, the world, our daily concerns and personal interests - and laziness, choked our spiritual growth: “…The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mk. 4:19). (See 1 Jn. 2:15, 16)

Look around you at your fellow believers. Many are slaves to their bodies, which tell their minds what to do. Their impulse is to eat and drink what they want, when they want; to sleep as they please; to indulge in whatever entertainment crosses their path, etc. It behooves us to consider Paul’s caution: "Everything is permissible for me--but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me--but I will not be mastered by anything” (I Cor. 6:12 ). (See I Cor. 10:23)

QUESTION: So tell me, my fellow brother or sister in Christ, how are you doing in the discipline and self-control departments? Do you view yourself as a person of excellence? Do you respect yourself? Are you choosing to prioritize and focus your life? Are you choosing to order and discipline your mind and your world so that you make time for God, your kids, your spouse, and serving others? Jesus, our model and standard, had a reputation for excellence: "He has done everything well" (Mk. 7:37). How about you?

1 D. A. Carson , For the Love of God

My prayer is that you are having a great week!

R. Dwight Hill