Only the Disciplined Survive

I’m as disciplined as a competitive swimmer by nature.

I get up in the morning. I read my Bible. I get ready for work.

I don’t expect much from God – perhaps just a little nugget of truth for the day.

But every once in a while God hits me with a handful of words that knock my breath away. It happened this morning. Here’s what I saw while reading in Proverbs.

Proverbs 5:23 “He dies for lack of discipline.”

Six words.  A lifetime of wisdom.

The problem is that most of us don’t really believe it. If we did, we’d live differently.

It’s not enough to apply God’s truths to our lives 80% of the time. So if you’re like me, and you tend towards the disciplines, you’re not so easily off the hook. I’ve found that God requires discipline in every area of life.

When it comes to being disciplined, here are 5 areas in my life I cannot afford to ignore:

1. What I eat. This one is obvious. If you don’t watch what you eat, you’re going to put on the pounds, increase your cholesterol, increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease, and eventually death. Sometimes the Bible can be quite literal!

2. What I see. We live in a visually sensual society. What may start out as a peak in a magazine can lead to infidelity in your marriage and the death of love. Even though I’m not married, or because I’m not married, I’ve got to guard my eyes all of the time. There are no room for peeks which can easily turn into entire weeks watching the wrong thing.

3. What I think. No wonder Paul tells us to take every imagination captive. I’ve talked about the mind in previous posts. Even though I know nothing about crafts I am a mentally creative person. One second I can be thinking about gastroenteritis, the next I can be on a beach in Tahiti. I’ve got to guard my mind without any exceptions. I’ve learned this the hard way. I hope you learn from me.

4. What I say. If my mind doesn’t bring my death, my tongue will. There is no filter between my brain and my tongue, and the Lord is committed to teaching me how to control my words. It’s a journey I hope to survive alive. Right now, it’s touch and go as long as I don’t pick up any customer service calls. No shortcuts in this one.

5. What I enjoy. The last area of discipline I’ve got to bring under subjection to the Lord is in the area of entertainment. The list can be long here: music I listen to, movies I watch, places I go, people I hang out with. Just because I read my Bible in the morning doesn’t excuse my entertainment choices in the evening.

I want to live a long and good life. I don’t want to die for lack of discipline.

I’m committed to doing anything it takes to prevent it. How about you? What is the hardest area to keep under discipline in your life?

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