Discipline Your Body
Sermon of the Day: Battling the Unbelief of Lust
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Good Morning Men!
I just read a daily devotion with this verse as the topic. The author was talking about the importance of discipline in our decisions and actions.
The other day in our daily email the sermon of the day was titled ‘Let Your Passion Be Single’. It was absolutely powerful. I hope you listened to it. That sermon had me thinking about the same topic, except from a different angle. The angle of doing all things thing for the glory of God. Doing it from a place of joy in the glory of God not so much out of just obedience.
Then last night a read an article in Success magazine that was awesome and I highly encourage you to read it. Titled 7 Ways to Develop Daily Discipline (Although there were actually 11).
I really wanted to pull one paragraph out for you guys. It really floored me.
It becomes increasingly harder to be disciplined in a society that prizes instant gratification. We are more concerned about feeling good all the time, so we seek immediate pleasures, whether it’s a new car, an exotic trip or a new partner. Our long-term goals are not so important anymore. We get comfortable and wait for a special event to give our lives meaning, happiness and success.
Copied from 7 Ways to Develop Daily Discipline. Written by Inga Stasiulionyte.
I may be totally off track, but I will go out on a limb and say every single one of us can relate to that. Correct me if I am wrong about you. But that floors me. It’s so true.
So the article is great, it has clear practical steps. But as a Christian how do we tie this all together with disciplining ourselves for the glory of God?
Personally I thing it comes down to three very important heart shifts that we need. Let me use scripture to define those three ways of living.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 9:23-25
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Meditate on these three verses. Memorize them. Anchor them into your hearts. Write them on cards, post it’s, books, computer screens, phone backgrounds. Place them everywhere to help you constantly be mindful of where our heart and mind need to go. Let them become a part of every decision you make.
This will be your root for disciplining your body. When your roots are grounded in the Word of God, He will be the focal point. God will get the glory.
I-Challenge You 