All of us have some sort of dream
or vision-areas of our lives where we want to better ourselves or achieve more.
Maybe it's to get in shape or
have better physical health. Maybe you want greater financial stability or
greater success in your business. Some of you may be believing for greater
ministry opportunities.
Whatever your goals are, there's
one thing for certain-it will be almost impossible to get there without
discipline and self-control.
There was a time in my life when
I would think, If I eat one of those chocolate chip cookies, I'll have to eat a
dozen. Why? Because I had no
self-control…and I had absolutely no faith in myself ever changing.
But here's the truth: We can
change. By the grace of God, we can begin making right choices and developing
new habits that will bring us the life we desire.
Know Your Power Source
First and foremost, living a disciplined
life and establishing new habits requires a lot more than just will power.
I'll never forget the time years
ago when I heard a teaching about the power of words. That day, I left church
and said, "That's it! I'm going to shut my mouth and not say one bad thing. I'm
going to discipline myself!"
You can probably guess how that
turned out. Actually, I did manage to keep quiet, but then I realized I was
depressed. The Lord spoke to my heart and said, "You shut your mouth, but
nothing on the inside has changed."
Here's the lesson: Even when God
asks us to do something, we still cannot do it successfully unless we lean on
Him. John 15:5 has changed my life.
It says, "….Apart from Me you can do nothing." (NAS)
Take a little time each day to
read God's Word and talk to Him in prayer. Some of my greatest breakthroughs
have been the result of simply sitting quietly in His presence, letting Him
know that I can't do anything if He doesn't make it happen.
You Can't Have the "Perks" Without the
"Works"
Years ago, people were expected
to work at their jobs for a long time before getting raises, vacation and
special benefits. Today, these things are expected up front. I'm all for people
having great benefits, but there's a sense of entitlement today that can
actually hurt us.
I believe a lot of people want
the "perks without the works." In other words, they want to have all of the
good results without having to discipline themselves or take any of the
responsibility to get them.
College football coach, Vince
Lombardi, famously said that he was going to teach his players how to
discipline themselves so they could have what they said they wanted to have.
You see, although today we can
microwave a meal, there's no such thing as "microwave Christianity." Actually,
I like to call God's process "The Law of Gradual Growth." Why? Because little
by little, as we make right choices, He delivers us from our enemies and takes
us where we need to be.
Yes, in the beginning,
disciplining yourself will be difficult. It won't feel good and you won't like
it. But every time you make a choice to do the right thing, the next time it
gets a little easier. And you get one step closer to your goal.
Truth or Consequence?
The Bible teaches us that wise
people think about the consequences and care more about later on than right
now.
Yes, you can live a lazy,
undisciplined life and still go to heaven. But you won't have peace, you won't
be happy and, worst of all, you won't glorify God with your life the way He
intended!
I encourage you to start viewing
discipline and self-control in a whole new way…as helpful keys to good health,
peace, prosperity, great relationships, and the satisfaction of fulfilling your
purpose.
And remember, whatever your goal
is-whether it's to get in good physical shape or change a negative attitude-you
have what it takes. So start drawing on God's power to help you achieve it. As
you do-little by little-you'll begin to find more freedom, more success, and
more fulfillment than you could ever imagine.
Joyce Meyer
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