Welcome back to the Journey of creation! Something that I have learned throughout this semester is that when we pursue our purpose and walk out our calling, discipline is everything.
Most people may wince at the hearing of the word “discipline” but the truth is that it is such a gift from God. To be vulnerable, this past week I was on Thanksgiving break, and I got to end much needed time with friends, family, and God.
During one of those days, I chose to sit down with God and practice confession and repentance. So, I grabbed my journal and a pen, turned on my instrumental worship and asked God to search my heart. I got to write down everything he brought to the surface. He exposed thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and he gave me a chance to access his healing.
Towards the end of this exercise, I rested in the words that the Lord had spoken and just waited to see if there was more he wanted to reveal. I remember the gentle conviction that he whispered into my spirit, he said “you are disguising apathy as rest. Where is your discipline?” This caught the attention of my heart, and I knew that if I truly want access to more of God that something would need to change.
This revelation was exciting to me, but also daunting. I felt in my heart that I needed to double down on discipline and actually create a schedule. This allowed me to dream with God and craft rhythms that really ease health and life into my body, mind, spirit, and soul.
So, with that thought, I wanted to make it a reality, and I’m currently on day two of walking out my schedule (click here to view it!). I have found that creating a disciplined rounding of health rhythms has given me more clarity and passion in my times with God, as well as increased my focus and energy levels throughout the day.
As a part of this new set routine, I’ve started eating healthier and taking more vitamins and supplements to really optimize the performance of my body, treating it like a temple. I am truly learning that discipline is a lifestyle that Jesus modeled and that’s the very reason he calls us disciples. We are meant to be disciplined followers of Jesus.
To tie this all back to business and missions, we can see that without personal discipline we fail. We need structure in our individual lives to thrive. If my goal is to launch a business, I need an outline of my daily steps and the follow through behind them to get something going. A plan without action is theory. If I say I’m going to workout but don’t set an alarm to wake up, I’m not going to workout. Jesus modeled a disciplined personal life and in this, his ministry thrived. This is the structure we are called to follow.
Now, I know this post isn’t super informational, and that’s because were chasing transformation! With all this in mind, what is your next move on the road to leading a disciplined life? Is it to be more structured in your times with the Lord, or is time for you to be intentional about your eating? Your next step is something only God knows, so ask him!
But, the first question you must always answer in taking a next step with Jesus is “Are you ready to PIONEER THE JOURNEY?”
A Sketch of a schedule, to get you to dream | A Puzzle, because disciple takes intentionality