Living a Life of Discipline
- The Narrow Path
- Nov 4, 2022
- 3 min read
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11, NIV).
I polled a few friends asking what comes to mind for them when they hear the word discipline, and these are a few of the answers I received:
“I picture saying no to a donut.” “It makes me picture the Nike check mark, and I hear their slogan ‘Just Do It.'” “I think about my HS softball coach having us hit a tire with a sledgehammer after every game.”
For me, an image of a basketball court immediately comes to mind. Not just any basketball court but the concrete one behind my parents’ house. Even though I had no idea at the time, it’s where I learned what discipline, both receiving and exhibiting, really looks like.
We moved into the house with the concrete court when I was five years old. I don’t think it’s possible to tally the total number of hours I spent out there from that time until now. I spent so much time pounding the pavement working on crafting my skill, yet, I didn’t fully realize until I became an adult just how much that space was shaping who I would become.
Dedication. Success. Failure. Teamwork. Communication. Struggle. Perseverance. Discipline. These are just a few things I learned during long practices and late-night moments on that court.
According to Google, one way of defining discipline is this: the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience1. I immediately think about running a suicide when I read the line “using punishment to correct disobedience.” I can’t begin to tell you how many of those I’ve had to run in my life as a result of someone showing up late for practice, not having the proper equipment, running a play wrong, or any other number of other things.
Most of all, I love that this definition includes the word “obey,” as I believe that should be the ultimate function and intent of discipline. Hebrews 12:6 says: “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” I believe being disciplined is a necessary part of life, especially growing up. Though I didn’t enjoy it at the time, when I think about the people in my life who disciplined me the most, I recognize it almost always came from a place of love. This is what drove me to be disciplined in nearly every aspect of my life, specifically in academics and athletics.
When applied to my life in a spiritual sense, I know that being disciplined is one of my most important spiritual practices. It is often tied directly to my obedience to God. When I commit myself to regular spiritual practices that draw me nearer to the Lord, I am much more likely to listen, hear, and be obedient to whatever He calls me to do.
Exercise. Healthy eating habits. Quiet time with the Lord. I have found that all of these are tied together for me. When I am disciplined in one area, I am also more likely to be disciplined in another. However, when I allow myself to fall into a space of complacency with one, it is much more likely to happen in the other areas, too. Do I think this is true only of me? Absolutely not. Though the specific practices may be different, I truly believe this struggle is part of the human condition of sin.
That’s precisely why I choose to surround myself with people who love me and will help train me in a way that leads to obedience to the Lord. Though the “punishment” doesn’t look the same as it did when I was a kid, it is so important that I have people in my life who help hold me accountable when they feel I am not being obedient to what the Lord wants for my life.
Receiving discipline from Jesus comes in the form of a loving, gentle reminder to take inventory of how I’m spending my time, make better choices, and ask myself whether I’m committed to placing Jesus first on my priority list. As we are reminded from Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
I am so thankful for my training.
1. Google search. Google. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.google.com/search?q=definition%2Bof%2Bdiscipline&oq=definition%2Bof%2Bdiscipline&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j0i512l5j69i60.1239j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
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