I don’t like the word “discipline”. It has a strict, structured feel to it. It literally brings back bad memories of punishment like not being to go outside, and being reprimanded for things that my younger siblings got away with all the time. It means instilling a training or way of life, often using punitive means to reward disobedience. But the English language is funny. Discipline is not just punishment. It also means a branch of knowledge, a field or area of study. The word discipline also is used to describe one’s attention to detail by having an orderly and structured pattern of behavior. Simply put, discipline is self control.
Too many times, we’ve been taught to have a vision of God the Father that shows Him as a punitive and punishing God. We hear the fire and brimstone stories and we are left shaking in our boots, thinking about how He will discipline us for our bad behavior. Yet the Word of God is very clear about God’s intentions towards us. He desires that we live our best lives by abiding and walking in righteousness and holiness. He wants us to live a structured life that is full of His joy, peace and hope. And to experience that way of living is to be more disciplined about walking in His ways and not our own.
Walking in our own righteousness and strength begins to wear out very quickly, if we are honest about it. Being undisciplined in our relationships, finances, on our jobs, or in school, even in ministry or business always leads to undesired consequences. We don’t like to admit it to ourselves, but doing things God’s way and having a pattern of behavior that is holy and righteous brings a sense of peace and well being that cannot be obtained any other way. Sure, there are those who say the disciplines of Karate, yoga or some other martial art or meditation technique are means to bring order and calm to your life. Yet I truly believe that following after the steps of the Christ Himself leads us into a life that is drama free and filled with life, and that more abundantly to boot.
This month’s S. O. A. K. is birthed to bring order, structure and unity to our alignment with God’s word. As we go through the scriptures, observe and acknowledge the effect they are having on our everyday lives, let’s pray the scriptures over ourselves as well. Being a disciplined person in Christ means that He gives you the strength to withstand hardships and difficulties, whether physical, emotional or mental. God’s word will begin to permeate your soul and bring about the changes we need implemented in our lives.
April is said to be the month that brings showers. We are now in the month of May, the time in which those showers are bringing forth a bounty of flowers and the earth is bursting with new life. Let this month of May 2021 be one in which the punishment, the undisciplined and unorder of your past is used as the rain which will water these scriptures and bring forth a new life filled with the self control and discipline you need to live a life pleasing and acceptable to God.
Are you enjoying the S. O. A. K. Calendar for 2021? Give us a comment, leave us a suggestion or just say hello. God bless you and see you next month.
Leave a Reply