Tag: discipline

Discipline as well as freedom

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These reflections on living a life of discipline are based on: 1 Corinthians 9:19–27.

‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.’ (v24)

Although we acknowledge that we can do nothing without God’s help, we do have a choice as to how we live out our Christian lives. As our salvation does not depend on works, we could simply sit back and do nothing – after all, it wouldn’t change how much God loves us.

However, Paul is a great example to emulate. He encourages us that being free in Christ provides us with a great opportunity to train ourselves. He uses the analogy of runners and other competitors. They put their all into their training, running hard after the prize. Being with Jesus for all eternity is our prize – isn’t that worth disciplining ourselves for?

PUTTING HELPFUL DISCIPLINES IN PLACE

If we know we struggle in certain areas, perhaps self-image or relying on junk food, we can put certain disciplines in place and ask for others to support us. In this passage, Paul talks about making his body a slave. He did not want to be mastered by anything other than his God and so went all out to ensure that didn’t happen. While we are free, we are not free to indulge our earthly passions (see Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16). The Christian life calls for hard work and discipline at times.

REACHING OTHERS

I find it fascinating that Paul also says, ‘Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.’ (v19). While we don’t have to do anything to earn our salvation, God’s means of reaching the world with His good news is us. So Paul made himself amiable to all types of people so that he wasn’t a stumbling block to them hearing the gospel. Is that something that you consciously do?

This can take discipline too, especially in those moments when we’d rather not make the effort. But in this time of great uncertainty, people are crying out for community. There is also much division and pain in the world today. Let’s be those that reach out, and bring people together in whatever ways we can.

Prayer: Lord I know that You call me to both freedom and discipline. Help me to glorify You through the way that I live my life every day. Amen.

Running with perseverance

Reflections based on Hebrews 12:1–14.

Let’s start by reminding ourselves of some central truths that we have discovered during our devotional on holiness. Today’s reading is a great motivational passage to help us run our race of life well, refusing to give in to sin. It teaches us to remember Jesus and how He lived His life with His goal always before Him. There is a ‘big picture’ being painted here, which is there to help strengthen us in those moments when we feel like giving up our efforts. 

We are also told to ‘Endure hardship as discipline’ (v7), as we are God’s children and that ‘God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness’ (v10). Jerry Bridges in The Pursuit of Holiness says that, ‘Holiness is … required for our well-being’ and makes the point that God’s discipline is a way in which He enables us to become holy. He disciplines us because He loves us and desires to have the type of close relationship a father has to his child.

Again we see the word ‘Therefore’ being used in verse 12. There is a sense that we need to be responsible and disciplined in our lifestyles and that it isn’t just for our benefit. We are to be good examples to others and live at peace with one another.

I have ended today’s reading with the reminder that ‘without holiness no one will see the Lord’. Yes it is a gift freely given, but if we long to see God we must run hard after holiness. I love how Kevin de Young puts it: ‘To run hard after holiness is another way of running hard after God’.* It isn’t holiness as an end in itself that we are seeking, but the One in whom it is all hidden: Jesus.

Prayer: Father, help me to understand the unending love that is behind Your discipline. And that seeking holiness is really seeking to know Jesus more. Amen.

*Kevin de Young, The Hole in our Holiness (Crossway, 2007)