I was so blessed last month to see a beautiful sight of a robin holding a worm in its mouth. At first glance, that may not seem so impressive or lovely, but I was encouraged by the self-discipline of that robin. As with most birds, it was holding in its beak life's greatest reward (equivalent for us to a big piece of chocolate or cheesecake) and yet it was sacrificing the enjoyment of eating that worm for the sake of nourishing her little ones back at the nest. What a picture of self-discipline! As I watched her fly off with the worm, still choosing not to enjoy the taste of it, I was struck with the reminder of how much I need to continue to pursue self-discipline in my own life.
I don't know where you are at, but I have found that the busier life gets, the harder self-discipline becomes in certain areas. When I was younger, it was commonplace to get up, do my devotions, an aerobic workout, read for a while, work, bike or walk, etc...you can quickly see as you reflect on a list like that, that time was on my side. Now in the fast pace world of toddlers, preteens, homeschooling, ministry and fun, all those things have become seemingly out of reach. Of course, that is not entirely true, but self-discipline becomes a prize of greater worth because it requires greater sacrifice and focus. Just like that robin, the things that I would enjoy most, for a time, may need to be enjoyed at another time for the sake of my "baby birds". The flip side is also there, though, which is that many of those things are still required for healthy living and I need to increase self-discipline so that they can be enjoyed. All areas of life require prayerful balance, don't they?
Proverbs 23:23 combines the importance of discipline in with wisdom and understanding, highlighting the importance of us seeking after it with great seriousness. I love Paul's reference to self-discipline when he refers to it as in I Corinthians 9:26&27, "I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave." That is serious self-discipline and I find it applies to so many areas of my life...getting up early so I have time to be in the Word, biting my tongue when I feel frustrated with my husband, putting down the second (or third) cookie even though I want to eat more, choosing to use a gentle tone with my children even when I am exhausted, cleaning the toilets even though I would rather read a book...the list is endless and different for each person. While any one of us may seem very disciplined in one area, you can be guaranteed that there is another area that we have to work on and grow in.
Do not leave discouraged, though! We must recognize that this should not be attempted in our own strength, if that is how we seek to achieve self-discipline then we are throwing away God's gift to us through Jesus Christ. More and more I find myself asking Jesus for his help in those moments of the day when I feel pressed on every side and He is faithful - that doesn't make it easy but it does make it possible.
Let me close with these awesome verses from I Peter 1 - post it somewhere where you can see it as a visual reminder, if you can...verses 2&3, "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him." Try to find time to meditate on those verses and the rest of that chapter, if you can - it speaks of precious promises that help us escape evil desires, the call to make every effort to add to our faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love...even closing with the understanding that this is what will keep us from being ineffective and not falling.
Don't give up - keep pressing in and on. Victory is sure, even if it does not seem to be in sight, that is where faith kicks in. Find the verses in the Word, like those above, get them somewhere where you can see them a lot and focus on all God has for you.
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