Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Discipline Yourself

discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness
1 Timothy 4:7b

I'm afraid that we have a difficult time following this verse in a balanced way. We either tend towards the "discipline is everything" belief or the "freedom is everything" mindset. As humans, we tend towards excess. Personally, I tend towards the discipline side. I demand excellence of myself and those around me. I tend to look down on those that allow themselves "too much freedom." Yet, I probably allow myself too much freedom at times. I believe that Paul was instructing us to find a balance. Our discipline needs to be for the purpose of godliness, not to bolster our reputation and make ourselves look good. We shouldn't be deriving our self worth from our self discipline.

Lord, please help me to discipline myself for the purpose of godliness. I also want to experience Your freedom. I pray that You would help me find that balance with the guidance of Holy Spirit.

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