Time to ramble ramble ramble:
- I feel like I am a fairly disciplined person.
- Discipline can lead to health or disaster. Rigid, no-heart discipline borders on Pharisee territory: not good.
- Healthy discipline springs from the power of the Holy Spirit bearing the fruit of self control.
- Some questions may help evaluate discipline.
- Could you execute a plan to give, save, and spend an unexpected blessing of a fairly large sum of money?
- Could you complete a project or class requiring a few extra hours per week?
- Could you complete a long term goal such as reading through the Bible, running a half marathon, etc.?
- If the urgent or short term defines what you do each day, how could you take steps to plan for longer term growth or accomplishment?
- What doesn’t happen so other things do?
- In some ways, you are disciplined to get things done you want to do. Are they the best things?
- Spiritually: Do you have regular times of Bible reading and worship? Why or why not?
- Can you cut something out of your life to replace it with something better?
- Does your love for God drive you to minimize certain areas so you can excel and grow spiritually?
- I could always use more discipline regarding prayer and speech. What would you identify as areas God could form in your heart over the long term by increasing self control?