The almighty formula-discipline

Text:1Timothy 4:7-8

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for hand,discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;for bodly discipline is only of little profit,but godliness is profitable for things,since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”

Today,we are doing a general introduction to this topic.Subsequently we shall be looking at it specifically.The word discipline is the same as training,exercise,practiice,done consistently towards achieving a purpose.Until now,I never knew that discipline is as important as I have come to know it..I have come to the understanding that discipline is everything in life.The success of anything in life is not without discipline.The formula I received for this,through inspiration,is:Anything+Discipline=Success,and Anything -Discipline=Failure.Is it sports,marriage,academics,studies,farming,business,ministry,parenting,relationships,time management,etc,name it;you need discipline to succeed.As the Lord was dealing with me about this issue of the inevitability of discipline in life,I laid my hand on the book: “Disciplined of a Godly Man”,by R.Kent Hughes.He writes:” I learnt that personal discipline is the indispensable key for accomplishing anything in this life.I have since come to understand even more that it is,in fact,the mother and handmaiden of what we call genius”He further said,&We will never get anywhere without discipline,be it in the arts,business,athletics,or academics.This is doubly so in spiritual matters.In other areas we may be able to claim some innate advantage.An athlete may be born with a strong body …But none of us can claim an innate advantage.In reality,we are all equally disadvantaged…(Rm .3:9-18).Therefore as children of grace,our spiritual discipline is everything -everything! ”

Do you want to be relevant in life?All you need is discipline.It is a life principle that works for Christians and none Christians.Proverbs 22:29 says: “Do you see a man skilled in his work?He will not stand before kings;He will not stand before obscure men.” It is generally recognized,even in verse 8 of our text,that both body or physical and godliness need discipline to succeed.Why it says the bodly discipline profits a little,but godliness profits more,is because,one is temporal and the other eternal.Verse 7 of our text is very important for anyone that want to find discipline interesting as against been seen tideous.Part of the verse says:discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness “.Discipline becomes interesting when you know the purpose,the benefits,for which you are are engaged.

The purpose of discipline is the motivation for discipline.Recently,my wife posted a message on the benefits of exercising the body,I have been doing exercise every morning before our family devotion.Because of my regular daily exercise,I am very for now.I don’t think I sleep up to maximum of 4 hours every night now.I’m always reading,writing,praying.Sometimes I go to bed 2am and wake up before 5am.This is as a result of the discipline of daily exercise and,of course,backed with Devine enablement.This introduction is to set out appetite on the indispensable of discipline for any achievement in life.We are going to be on this Almighty formula -Discipline for days to come;looking at spiritual discipline in different are a of our lives.massage(Apostle David Ikhielea)