Category Archives: Discipline
Key Component I
Heb.12:7 [NIV] “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?”
The first bedrock of character is Courage. A burst of courage for fifteen minutes or even a whole day, is good but it is not enough to carry you through. It takes endurance to sustain courage. Read the rest of this entry
Shortcut Short-circuits!
Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. 2 For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?”
Most of the time if we will be true to self, we will admit that when God wants to save us from disaster, we often think He just wants to punish us.
No Shortcuts
Dan.1:8 “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king… 17 …And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.”
Discipline is making advance decisions to delay gratification as long as necessary to achieve long lasting results. However, there are certain areas where we prefer quick gratification rather than delayed gratification. Read the rest of this entry
Now or Later?
Deut.8:5 “Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.”
Mountain climbers tell us that if you take anyone from ground zero by helicopter and just drop the person on the top of Mount Everest, that person will die because his or her lungs are not prepared for that height. Read the rest of this entry
Delay Not Denial
Psa. 94:12 “Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.”
Discipline is making advance decisions to delay gratification as long as necessary to achieve the results you most desire. The challenge is that the world clamours for instant gratification and easy solutions. Read the rest of this entry
In Advance
Dan.1:8 “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods” [emphasis added].
People may be attracted to packaging but it is the content that will determine if it is money well spent or not. Imagine buying a cereal from the supermarket,
Needing Light?
Prov. 1:2 “Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.”
The second bedrock of character is Discipline. Character is who you are when no one is watching. When you are alone in your room, in your office, in your car, in your solitary moment who you are is the weight of your character. Read the rest of this entry
Character
Prov. 11:5 (MSG) “Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. 6 Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.”
An anonymous quote defines character as, “…who you are when no one is watching.” Examples of character would be, a woman that overcomes shyness to testify before God’s people that,
Parenting
Isa.40:11 “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.”
Effective parenting only happens within the confines of sufficiency, wisdom, and love. Abuse begins when authority is misused outside of these lines. Read the rest of this entry
Lead-A-Sheep!
Prov. 22:6 (MSG) “Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old they won’t be lost.”
Your first experience of a person of authority shapes your reaction to other authorities. Our parents are the first authority figures in our lives. Our experiences with our parents shape our experiences with God and with authority to a very large extent.
