The apostle Paul understood discipline and wrote about it in several of his letters. In 1 Corinthians 6:12, He observed, “Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power” (emphasis mine).
Discipline is the price of freedom. It is the door to liberation. When we are not disciplined, we become slaves; we fall under the power of things that should have no control over us. For example, when we don’t discipline ourselves to eat healthily, we become slaves to fats, sugars, and other substances that are detrimental to our physical health. I am acquainted with many people who know that eating a lot of sugar makes them feel tired and even sick, but they eat it anyway.
They “wish” they did not want the unhealthy food, but they are not willing to discipline themselves to make better choices. When we do not practice self-control with our finances, we fall under the power of debt, and our indebtedness can literally keep us from doing what we want or need to do in life. Oppressive debt is often the root cause of anxiety, disease, and serious marital problems. When we do not discipline ourselves to get enough rest, we become slaves to fatigue, which makes us grouchy, prone to mistakes, and tired when we need to be energetic.
Fatigue is one of the greatest thieves of creativity so we need to avoid it as much as possible. It seems to me that everyone is tired these days, and I am certain that is not God’s will for people. Paul echoed a similar sentiment in 1 Corinthians 10:23 when he wrote, “All things are legitimate [permissible-and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]” (emphasis mine). Notice in this verse, Paul again states that he is technically free to do anything he wants to do, but that he restrains himself from doing things that are not character-building or spiritually edifying. The Bible says, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7 NASB). Making decisions based on whether or not it will enhance your character or help you spiritually is a wise approach to practicing discipline.
We should practice discipline in what we allow ourselves to see and hear. Our eyes and ears are gateways into our soul and spirit and as such they should be guarded with all diligence. For example, if you receive a magazine in your home, and as you page through it you find the models are dressed scantily and inappropriately, the best choice is to simply throw it away. If you are surfing the channels on television you will need to discipline yourself in what you choose to watch. Another example would be to choose not to gossip or reveal people’s secrets no matter how much you are tempted to. The power of life and death are in them so we should use great caution, discipline, and self-control concerning them.
Think about It
Have you become a “slave” to anything, or does anything have power over you? If so, what is it? Are you regularly disciplining yourself unto godliness?
