DISCIPLINE IS POWER

Most of us, especially those of us from younger generations, have a very unproductive understanding of freedom. We adopt the “I’m grown” attitude whenever someone or something attempts to place restrictions on us. We tend to think of freedom as being able to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

 Each year, high school graduates head for college with this attitude, and many leave college without a degree for the same reason.

Freedom to do what we want whenever we want is a delusion. We all go from obeying rules under parents or guardians to obeying those of our government, institutions, employers, etc. Those who don’t suffer consequences such as unemployment or prison.

When we think of discipline most of us think of it the same as exercise. It’s good for us, but we don’t feel like doing it. That comparison would be correct in many ways, except discipline is far more powerful.

Discipline, i.e., self-discipline, allows us to do whatever we need or should do even when we don’t feel like it or want to. The ability to do that is powerful because most of the good or more significant things accomplished in this life require that we do all of the above. 

Many of us lack discipline, and we dislike ourselves for it. We beat ourselves up or dump on the low self-esteem or insecurities we’ve already developed from not exercising self-discipline repeatedly.  

The Bible tells us about the power of “Strongholds,” some of which are formed due to the lack of discipline in our lives. Stronghold is a good way to describe how it robs us of or restricts our freedom.  This type of bondage can cause life to feel like a big, useless rut.

Here’s the good news: there is ONE stronger than you who can give you what you need to break free from bondage, ONE who can give you the ability to start over and teach you how to develop the self-discipline needed to fulfill your true purpose.

But, here’s the catch – you can’t just read about what THE ALMIGHTY can give you. You have to believe it and want it far more than you wanted what got you in this undisciplined state in the first place. Because when we really believe we’ve received something that can help us – WE USE IT.