Discipline and Self-Discipline: Application in Life
[Talk about management column easily]
▲May God give us single-minded and clear eyes, guard our hearts, hold on to the truth given by God, be willing to pay the price, and observe discipline and self-discipline.
In the 56th issue of "Kingdom of God" magazine, the countries and kings of the Kingdom of Judah and Israel were used as examples to discuss the impact of "discipline and self-discipline" on the rise and fall of the kings and countries of Judah and Israel. This issue will consider how to implement "discipline and self-discipline" in our lives.
1. Discipline and self-discipline require us to be determined to choose, learn and pay the price
First of all, we should be sure that "discipline and self-discipline", just like faith, is a choice. It requires learning, is worth paying the price, and affects us throughout our lives. We also need to rely on the Holy Spirit to break through, have lifelong results, and achieve our goals. , whose goal is as stated in the Bible:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for from it come the results of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
"The eyes are the lamp of the body. If your eyes are clear (or focused), your whole body will be full of light." (Matthew 6:22)
May God give us a single and clear eye, guard our hearts, hold on to the truth He has given us, be willing to pay the price, and observe discipline and self-discipline.
2. Biblical principles are our discipline
When we study the Bible, we know that the Bible is our discipline. Whether a person is self-disciplined depends on whether he lives out the principles of the Bible. There are many verses in the Bible that mention the importance of discipline. For example, Proverbs 10:17, "Whoever keeps instruction stays on the path of life; but whoever rejects reproof has lost the way." and Proverbs 12:1, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge." The original texts of "instruction" and "discipline" (English instruction or discipline) both contain the meaning of discipline, including the discipline of children and the management of one's own body, mind and soul.
The following verses are relevant teachings given to us by Proverbs and the Apostle Paul:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
"Sound mind" originally refers to self-control, moderation and careful thinking and discernment. The English translation is sound mind or self-discipline (self-discipline).
God gives us the grace to know Him, and gives us understanding and wisdom, and allows us to renew and change our minds, and to act out His goodness and purity in a regular (i.e., disciplined) manner with solid faith in Christ. , a pleasant will comes. In other words, as long as Christians have strong faith and practice God's teachings through the Bible, they are observing "discipline" (that is, "self-discipline").
3. Practicing it at any time and anywhere
Self-discipline must start from an early age and start with oneself, and then enter the family, school, church, workplace, society and the country, and must be practiced with all the heart, soul, mind and strength. So we must first turn back to being like children. “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have established power for the sake of your enemies, to silence the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2)
We must learn from the simplicity of children. Just by believing, God will build abilities for them. Our self-discipline should also be like children, believing that God will build abilities for us.
Self-discipline must pay a price. In order to be self-disciplined, we need to continue to devote time, ability, emotional control, tongue control, financial investment, self-physical and mental health management and reduce time spent on some hobbies, etc.
What is self-discipline? The following examples can be used to illustrate, I hope everyone can draw inferences:
1. Use your time effectively, don’t be addicted to mobile phones, video games, computers, etc., and prioritize things that are valuable to your life goals to achieve.
2. To buy a house, we must be willing to save enough money first; on the contrary, if we do not save money first, we may expect to win the lottery.
3. To lose weight and maintain a healthy body, you must be willing to spend effective and sufficient time exercising, control a balanced diet and food intake, and have enough rest and sleep. On the contrary, you may be like a friend of mine who weighs 250 pounds and only eats steak and meat every day. I didn't eat hamburgers, fruits or vegetables, and I didn't like to exercise. As a result, I was diagnosed with terminal rectal cancer a few years ago, and it was less than a year from the onset of the disease to my death.
4. To have good interpersonal relationships, you must not get angry at will, be willing to have good interactions with others, and control your tongue so as not to offend others. Just as President Reagan and President Trump are both presidents with wise strategies and executive abilities, only President Reagan can be recognized as a popular and good president because he controls his tongue and has a deep sense of humor; we know that every day We should pray for President Trump so that he can control his tongue and walk on the path according to God’s heart.
5. To become a top scholar, you must spend time studying, studying and accumulating knowledge and abilities in this field. Two great men, Einstein and Edison, spent their time in their professions and became top people.
6. To become a top athlete, you must spend more time practicing than others and have the wisdom to find a suitable training plan. How Jeremy Lin's mother trained him since childhood, and his willingness to obey to be trained to become an outstanding and self-disciplined NBA player, is also an example that can be followed.
7. No matter what you do, whether you are in the workplace or serving in a ministry, you should be extremely diligent; doing your job well with dedication and enjoying it is a gift from God; but if the good deeds can be "a little more ”, it will help us break through the status quo and become more successful. Note
More importantly, spiritually, to establish an intimate relationship with God, we need to live a disciplined and self-disciplined inner life, which is humility, obedience, reading the Bible, praying, and walking with God every day. Then we can willingly "use The truth is a girdle (discipline)” (refer to Ephesians 6:14). When we are willing to believe God’s truth and let the truth become a discipline (discipline) to restrain ourselves, we can live in God’s sheepfold. Here, under the cover of God, we are less likely to sin and be attacked by the devil.
▲The fruits of the Holy Spirit are not prohibited by the law, because they are all things that please God, including gentleness and self-control, which is discipline.
4. Refusing to abide by God’s discipline and not receiving God’s blessings
Refusing to obey God’s word means refusing to obey God. You must know that failure to obey God’s words is disobedience, and the result is rejection by God or death. As the prophet Samuel warned King Saul, "Samuel said, Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and peace offerings, so much as in obedience to his voice? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to obey is better than the fat of rams. The sin of disobedience is the same as doing evil. The sin of stubbornness is the same as the sin of idolatry. Because you have rejected the commandments of the LORD, the LORD has also rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Sometimes we disobey God and live an undisciplined life because we are tempted by our own desires and therefore sin. That is, we do not follow the Holy Spirit and indulge in our lusts.
"Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16)
“For all the things in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are not from the Father but are from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
In other words, when we accidentally cross the boundary of self-discipline, we should not rationalize the mistake; rather, we should immediately turn back and get back on track through prayer, meditation, and confession, so that all previous efforts will not be wasted.
5. Self-discipline and become the image of God and the son of God
If you obey and obey God’s will, you will be rewarded with wealth, honor, and life. The Bible gives believers many promises, such as:
“The reward of humility in the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.” (Proverbs 22:4)
"But as soon as their hearts turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. With our faces unveiled, we all behold the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror, He is being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).
The fruits of the Spirit are not prohibited by the law, because they are things that please God, including gentleness and self-control, which is discipline (see Galatians 5:23).
in conclusion
Only those who can "self-discipline" can become successful leaders. Discipline is that God requires Christians to first change themselves and become new people who are constantly renewed "in Christ". They must love the Lord, your God, with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind; and they must love their neighbors as themselves (see Luke 10 :27). Let Christ be our only discipline of judgment. By knowing Christ, Christians can judge correctly and become true sons in the image of God. Because of self-discipline, fear of the Lord, and humility, we will be rewarded with wealth, honor, and life. .
Note:See Lin Yuansheng, "A Little More", Kingdom of God magazine, Issue 54, Winter 2018, shen-guo.org/a-little-more.html.
Elder Lin Yuanshang(right), one of the founders of Lite-on Group, and former general manager and vice chairman of the group. After retiring from the corporate world, he served as chairman of the Taiwan Christian Mustard Seed Association.