THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE

SERIES: LIVING A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

TEXT: PROVERBS 25:28

INTRODUCTION

Each one of us has got goals they want to achieve. Some achieve them, others fail those who fail to achieve their goals in life are the majority. The distance between dreams/goals and results is called discipline. Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do, what you become. Your thoughts are the battlefield between godliness and worldliness. Since we have heard so much from the systems of the world, the word of God tells us to be transformed by a RENEWAL of our minds-Romans 12:2. God wants to renew our minds over and over from other godly people. This guarantees success in our walk of faith, for God is determined to accomplish the good work which He started in us-Phil. 1:6. Plans and goals are done in the mind but it is discipline that takes you to the goal. Some pillars of discipline:-

COMPANION: PSALM 1:1-6

Friends and compassions can ruin your destiny, your future. Many a time, you are the average of the people you spend time with.

Spending all the time with the sinner is not evangelism, its not a mission to win the sinner. We go to the sinner for an appointed time when send by the Holy Spirit-Romans 10:15.
Bad company ruins morals-1st Corinthians 15:33.
Where you walk: the blessed person walks not in the company of the wicked.
Where you stand: your world perspective is based on where you are standing. The blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners. The Bible says that no good soldier gets entangled with civilian affairs-2nd Timothy 2:4. A good soldier of the cross knows the company to keep and the company to avoid.
Where to get advice. Advisors shape your life. The people around us are ever advising peer pressure counsel of the wicked can ruin our destiny. This comes through social interaction, the media intake we consume, the books we read etc. advice is all round us. Solomon’s son Rehoboam was misguided by foolish advisers and he lost influence: the kingdom of Israel due to bad advice. King Uzziah sought advice from Zachariah, a man if God-2 Chronicles 26:5-6. Zachariah the man of God gave the king godly advice and the king prospered and became famous.
Proverbs 13:20. Get advice from wise people only. Not all people are wise.

THE POWER OF FOCUS.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was focused in His mission to stick only to the purpose that brought Him to the earth. He achieved the goal.
He knew His goal very well what He had come to the earth and He defined His mission clearly-John 12:23.
Defining your purpose and knowing it helps you to concentrate all our energy, skill and time to this priority. A jack of all trades is a master of none.
Avoiding distraction: reaching your destiny that come to get you out of the way.

Our Lord Jesus Christ avoided distraction to leave His mission and become a judge to adjudicate in cases of land disputes etc, as in Luke 12:13-14.
Apostle Paul had to lay aside distractions and focus on what was most important, his mission-Phil. 3:13. He focused on his mission-1st Corinthians 9:26.

1st Corinthians 10:23. All things are lawful BUT not all things are profitable. What does not help you reach your goal hinders you. There are even good things in life you will have to ignore if you are to hit your target.

CONCLUSION

God created you not just to pass through the earth but to achieve some purpose. Have the wisdom to identify why you are on the earth today, live wisely-Eph. 5:15. Choose companions, choose advisors in your life wisely. If we ask God, He will give us the wisdom to choose-James 1:5.
A disciplined person lives a life with boundaries; there are places he/she will not go, there are people he/she will not hangout with, there are movies

He/she will not watch etc.