But discipline in its broadest sense means teaching or training to develop self-control and obedience. It begins at birth and continues throughout life.

Everyone must discipline himself in order to live harmoniously with others. We train ourselves to control our tempers and our appetites and to avoid extravagant spending. We get up at a certain hour in order to get to school or to work on time. All this is discipline.

Let’s think about some disciplines we Christians need to apply. One of the first lessons in discipline, which a young Christian needs to learn, is to attend the house of God regularly. It is so easy to sleep late on Sunday morning. David knew that there is great blessing in going to the house of God: “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1). Paul cautioned against forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, in the house of God (Hebrews 10:25).

We need also to discipline ourselves in the house of God. Children and young people are not the only ones who need to remind themselves to sit still. Older ones must remember that their purpose in church attendance is not to catch an extra nap or to plan the coming week’s activities. Too many times, we allow thoughts such as these to run through our minds during the service: “I wonder what time the ball game begins Friday night? I must see Jessie as soon as the service is over…”

Our minds can become so cluttered with unimportant details that we fail completely to grasp the pastor’s message. And it may be that in that sermon is just what we need to help us through the coming week’s trials and problems. We need to hear every word of the speaker. And he in turn, needs the support of our complete attention, of thoughts that are pure and full of love for him and the work he is doing. He needs our prayers that he may find the word to carry God’s message to us who need it so much. Yes, we must discipline our minds in “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure” (Philippians 4:8).

We need also to discipline ourselves also, for the habit of daily Bible study. We must set aside a time for this study. There’s much bidding for our time, and it is hard to find time for the Bible and devotional reading, but we must find it.

In 2 Timothy 2:15 we are instructed to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Sunday school teachers must discipline themselves to study and prepare for their teaching. A Christian education worker once said that what worried her was, the children who come to Sunday school once and never come again. Could that teacher have been a Saturday-night studier? Possibly she had not disciplined herself to prepare her lesson well early in the week but had done it hastily, at the last possible moment.

Prayer is another area where discipline is needed. The life of prayer requires will power, persistence, effort, and discipline. But all of these, God gives freely, to those who truly seek. To live a life of prayer requires some effort, but it is within the capacities of all.

Prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God, to adore Him, to thank Him for His benefits, and to ask for His help. The first and great aim of prayer is to create in us the spirit of an adorer, to teach us to occupy ourselves with God, forgetful of self.

A good formula for prayer is the four L’s: Looking, longing, loving, and listening. Looking into the face of Christ gives us an understanding of His strength, compassion, love, sympathy, knowledge, and longsuffering. Longing is a great yearning to be like Him; it is seeking the perfecting He desires in us, willing to do as He would have us. Loving is a selfless giving of ourselves, striving to love as He loves. Love is the enthusiastic and voluntary offering of life. Love is service to God and our fellowman.

After looking, longing, and loving, then comes the quiet time of listening for the still, small voice that speaks to each of us when our hearts are tuned to His.

Jesus, (our example) prayed early in the morning. If we would pray the first thing every morning, we would avoid much trouble during the day. We would be able to solve the problems that face us.

On day when I was washing clothes, when I raised the lid to the washer, my clothes were all twisted up in a long roll. I worked and worked, twisted and pulled, for fifteen or twenty minutes. I wondered what could have caused so much trouble.

Finally the clothes were untwisted. What do you suppose had caused the difficulty? It was just a small hook and eye. Our lives, too, can get as twisted as those clothes when we do not take time to pray.

Prayer brings with it a soul burden, a sensing of the need of lost souls around us, and their doom. Soul winning is not the same as winning an argument. It has been said, that every argument won, is a friend lost. We must love people enough to bring them face to face with Christ.

Winning souls is the duty of every Christian. We ourselves are helped when we try to help others. Our effort to win others to Christ helps us grow as Christians and keeps our Christian experience fresh.

Soul winning is a lifflong job. We must deep at it continually. If we speak to a friend about Christ and he does not respond, we are not to give up. Christ gave the parable of the Lost Coin to teach persistence.

Visitation, writing letters of encouragement, and distributing Christian literature are all avenues of soul winning. How many souls we might win if we were only willing to inconvenience ourselves a bit, to give up selfish plans, to show kindness and attention to others! The world is hungry for love, and ours is a Gospel of love from a God of love, whose chief commandment is to love one another.

A young girl once said to a Christian, “I ought to be yours, Lady.” “What do you mean?” The woman asked. “When I was seeking the Savior, I put myself in your path many a time, but you did not speak to me. Another led me to Christ.”

There’s a blessing to everyone who leads another to Christ. Let’s ask ourselves, are we missing our blessings because of a lack of discipline in our life? [ The End ]