Mary Southerland: Discipline, holding restraint in one hand and commitment in the other, is accomplished only through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. The Holy Spirit has the task of training and directing us in the ways of God. Our Father will not give us good habits, nor will He simply supply exemplary character. We must resolve to walk in an upright way. We must choose the good habits over the bad and work out the salvation that God has worked in. We must choose and even relish discipline. How? Make the commitment to start. A famous athlete, known to rise at 3:30 am each morning to begin his demanding regimen of exercise, was being interviewed by a major newspaper. When the experienced reporter asked him to share the secret of his success, the athlete responded, Thats easy. The secret to my success is discipline. The reporter laughed at the simplistic answer and persisted, Yes, but how do you start leading a life of discipline? The athlete grinned and said, You decide to start. The same is true for us. A life of discipline begins with the commitment to start. Make the commitment to start now. An undisciplined heart is full of good intentions that are never given life. Begin now to pursue discipline. You may not fully understand all that your commitment entails, but the Holy Spirit certainly does. He will empower every well-ordered choice you make, and guide every disciplined step of your journey to the heart of God. Godly discipline allows us to rest within the framework of Gods sovereignty.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 14:34:42 +0000