DISCIPLINE AND SELF CONTROL

PROVERBS 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

PROVERBS 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

Discipline is the ability to control oneself or others in all circumstances, either good or bad. It is the ability to teach yourself to behave in a controlled manner. Discipline is the most important ingredient on the journey to success. Self-discipline or self-control is the key to accomplishing the will of God upon our lives. One of the spirits we receive from the Holy Spirit is the spirit of discipline or self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 AMP [For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgement and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind, and self-control.]

There is no greater goal in this life than fulfilling the will of God upon our lives and becoming all that He destined us to become. However, many people depart this world without accomplishing a fraction of what God has called them to become because they lack self-discipline. Discipline is the commitment to accomplish a goal.

It is the bridge between thoughts and accomplishments, inspiration, and achievement. It is the bridge between necessity and productivity. We fail to accomplish our goals because we lack the necessary discipline, we do not strive and put in the necessary work required towards accomplishing our goals. Our lives become an accumulation of dayto-day failures until they become one huge disappointing result. Successful people are not necessarily the most intelligent people, they are not the people with the best access to resources and connections instead they are the people who mastered the art of discipline. They trained themselves to follow a consistent work ethic towards achieving their desired goals. Discipline is required in our spiritual journey as well; it takes discipline to walk in obedience to God’s Word. It surely takes selfcontrol for one not to give in to the demands of the flesh.

1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me.]”

Apostle Paul refused to be under the control of anything. This is probably one of the reasons why he accomplished all the great work for God’s Kingdom, he was disciplined and not easily influenced by things around him. The first step to a disciplined life is the awareness of the need and value for it.

Proverbs 25:27-28 “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep. Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

A person without discipline is controlled by everything and has no direction. The Bible compares such a person to a city without walls. It has no protection and can easily be attacked by the enemy. When we continually do what we feel like doing, we end up failing to achieve the plans God has set out for our lives, and even fail to attain the goals we set for ourselves. To succeed we must learn to do the things we do not enjoy. You want to buy a property? Learn to save money to buy that property. If you lack discipline with your spending, you will fail to achieve your goal within the stipulated period. The students who get the best grades are not the most intelligent, but they are disciplined enough to revise what they have been taught while other students play. You cannot spend most of the morning in bed and expect to be successful. We need to follow a work ethic that will produce the results we require.

By Kudzaishe Mucheka

SINACH: