I know I haven’t posted anything in a while, but I did staff devotion this week. Below is my script I used. Let me know your thoughts.
DISCIPLINE & GOALS
Over the past couple weeks my mind has been focused on what goals I want to set for 2011. I’ve come up with quite a few. Some are goals are minor, some major and a few in between. Whether it’s setting a goal to complete a century ride (100 mile cycling) or reading a certain number of books this year, the goals are there for the purpose of making my life better. In order to obtain these goals, I have certain steps that are necessary to maintain progress and ultimately achieve that goal. Each goal however, is not easy. It takes discipline – and discipline is hard. Discipline is to follow a particular code of conduct or order. Wikipedia says that in its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. The US Marine Corps says this about it:
“Discipline is the instant willingness and obedience to all orders, respect for authority, self reliance and teamwork. The ability to do the right thing even when no one is watching or suffer the consequences of guilt which produces pain in our bodies, through pain comes discipline.”
No wonder discipline isn’t easy. If it involves pain, why do it? You have to look ahead past the pain to the final product of what the discipline will bring. If all you have is pain in the journey, you will never have the strength to muster through. If while I train for the century ride and all I can see is the pain my legs will feel, I won’t complete the race. If I want to be financially generous with a stranger, yet fear the financial strain of what might happen to me, I’ll never give. If I want to share my faith with others, and expect ridicule or resentment from them, I won’t share how Christ has changed my life. So how do I (or even you) begin to work this out practically? Where do we start?
First off, we must decide in advance what we are going to do. We must decide how we’ll react to spiritual matters. We must decide how we’ll react to financial matters. We must decide how we’ll react when it comes to taking care of our body physically. A goal without a plan is dead. It’s like Zig Ziglar says, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” We must come up with a plan. Write it down, type it out, tell your spouse, whatever it takes to hold yourself accountable. If you don’t know what you are going to do, chance are you won’t do anything, and especially not the choice if a plan was in place. We have to choose to do the next right thing. We can’t just expect it to happen. It is a choice and it requires discipline. You must point your feet in the right direction and go that way.
1 Peter 3:13-14 says, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”
