Discipline

Discipline.

Sounds painful, doesn't it?

Discipline.

You hear experts and successful people talk about discipline and how they have it and you should get it.  You hear them talk about discipline making all the difference in their lives.  You hear them say discipline in your life will change it.

Of course, you never hear them give you specific directions about acheiving discipline or show you what it looks like.  And, the ones that do are so overly disciplined that it scares normal people (like me!) to death.

Discipline.

When I look at that word I see 99% of the word "disciple" in it.  I understand "disciple."  It means "student" or "follower."  To be a disciple is to follow or study something and someone who teaches.

If I want discipline in my life, I need to be a disciple.  Now, I am not smart enough to be my own teacher.  I can certainly participate in my own education and formation, but I am not smart enough to come up with the kind of structure and information I need.  I need help.

Maybe you do too.

God has provided many people in my life to help me grow.  I have spiritual mentors, professional educators, child experts, a physical trainer, detail people, a technological whiz, artists, musicians, mental health professionals, theologians, 12-Step giants, business and finance experts, skeptics (yes, they are especially helpful to dreamers like me) and a whole host of folks who can teach me what I need to know on any given day.  These folks have their own disciplines that I can learn from, lean on and incorporate into my daily life and work.

The key for me is to admit when I need help from these gifts of God and to use their discipline to shape mine.  I do not have to come up with my own rules for living, I can utilize what has already worked for others.  I can seek wisdom and use that wisdom to learn how to live a life worth living.

Discernment is key.  To know to whom I should turn to and when is a key decision.  To make that decision I need to take my time and say plenty of prayers.  I also need to read and listen to the Sacred Text - God's source of much useful discipline.

The real truth for me is that God is always providing the means for my own discipline - the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, people and a myriad of other resources.  God is disciplining me by helping me more and more see that I am not an expert at anything.  I am just another disciple trying "day by day" to "follow more nearly" His path for my life.

Thankfully, that path is full of teachers, guides, mentors - fellow disciples - who are traveling the same path towards God.

I pray that even as I lean on their discipline, they might lean on whatever discipline I have to share and together we would arrive at our Happy Destination where we can give honor and glory to the One whom we've been following all along.

Comments

[MLW]

WOW!!!WOW!!! And here I thought I was a pretty disciplined person. Think again. I'll definitely work on this... God know's I could use all the help I can get. Like you I do have friends to help me. Hope to see you soon. My love to K and the boys.