The Audacity of God's Grace: 10 Strategies To Living Your Best Life Now (26 page)

STRATEGY NUMBER 8
BE DISCIPLINED & CONSISTENT

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Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

—Jim Rohn

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Perfection of effort is not required, by the way. It is the consistency of attempting to work these tools that brings the progress. It’s like anything else. If I want to tone muscle, lifting a ten-pound weight a few times every day will move me toward my goal much quicker than hoisting a fifty-pound barbell once a week. Yes, it really is true: “Slow and steady wins the race.” Just try a little, every day. You’ll see.”

—Holly Mosier

YOUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON DISCIPLE, NOT MAGIC

In order for a person to live well and pursue their best life now, being disciplined is second to none because your success will not happen by magic. This is why John C. Maxwell once said that: “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” Kent Hughes,
an author, and Senior Pastor Emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, USA emphasizes on being a disciplined person in order to succeed. He however differentiates a spiritually disciplined person and a legalist. Pastor Hughes noted that a legalist “will do things to gain merit with God” but a spiritually disciplined person “do things because he loves God and wants to please Him”. This is the reason why you should be spiritually disciplined, acting on the principles of God and not of man. As it is said, “bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to some” (1 Timothy 4:8). First, this verse defines further the work or industriousness that was discussed earlier. Working should not just be about being busy because indeed, there are many busy people who work a lot and become dissatisfied about what they are doing. Such performance results to burn out, with the person thinking that he is over-worked but underpaid or even unrecognized. However, when a person works as a spiritually disciplined person, things will be put in check not only in gaining spiritual rewards in heaven but also in gaining material blessings needed to live a prosperous and decent life here in the world.

Decide to Discipline Yourself

This spiritual discipline is what Dag Heward-Mills described as ‘controlling one’s carnal instincts’. Paul is one great example in godly discipline. In the Christian Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 9:27, apostle Paul said: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection”. Every man or woman has their desires. All of us are created with all kinds of hormones and we develop all kinds of tastes and appetites. Sometimes there are things that the body wants to have but the mind knows better that it isn’t the right thing to do, therefore our ability to discipline ourselves is what is needed at such times to be able to manage internal bodily (flesh) conflicts. Mighty men and women have fallen to nothing today because they failed to discipline themselves and be a person of significance by controlling their environment. When former CIA head, David Howell Petraeus, a highly decorated and respected American retired military officer and public official failed to discipline himself by engaging in extramarital affair, it caused him his top job and respect. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund was disgraced out of office as he resigned after his arrest for sexual assault in New York. Those who have automated their mind to work for success and have trained their mind to work for them, not them working for their mind will be the only group to overcome at such moments of weakness. Discipline requires sacrifice. If you want to be a person of great significance, you must vigorously learn to discipline the carnal man/woman inside of you. We all have them.

Vigilance is Key

You cannot be a disciplined individual if you are not vigilant. For many people, becoming obese is not just a matter of genetics, it begun with one bite of junk food one after another. For a number of people, onset obesity may begin as a result of not taking deliberate actions; lack of determination and discipline with food or diet and avoiding to make the sacrifice of time, and the necessary risk of exercise because of procrastination. Today, as Americans, our adult populations are expanding by the year, along with our children populations which skyrocket our health care and costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in three American adults is overweight. Another third are obese. When combined, 68.8% of the United States adult populations are either obese or overweight. Sadly enough, obesity is a contributing factor in five out of the top ten contributing factors of healthcare cost and health issues in America: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and kidney diseases as well. The Children are also significantly affected. The CDC estimates that one in three children born in the year 2000 in America will develop diabetes sometime in their life due obesity.

Defeat the Temptations

When the body craves for junk food, knowing that it is not good for one’s health, a disciplined person will choose not to satisfy the body’s cravings. The same is true with other things such as thoughts and work. A Part of being disciplined means that we will have the ability to defeat temptation.

“A person who cannot defeat temptations will hardly live their best life now.”

A disciplined person must learn to take responsibility and defeat temptations. Temptations are part of life. We cannot outrun them. How we handle temptation however will determine our ability to succeed and experience prosperity both in spiritual matters, economic and social gain and even in our health conditions.

As earlier discussed, part of living in victory means our ability to decide on the things we want, and on what we want to think about and do. This is called self-discipline and this is where leadership comes into our daily routine if we must live our best life now. We can conquer temptations through the power of God’s love within us, if we stay motivated by the love of Christ. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 NIV).

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up on your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who will bring you eternal life. In this way you keep yourselves safe in God’s love” (Jude 20, 21NLT). It is when we learn to be motivated by faith in the love of the risen Christ that “the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NLT). We will receive daily and renewed strength to “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and gave Himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2 NIV). This is how love truly wins.

You Can Overcome

You cannot overcome unless you are disciplined. By this we know that we are the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:2-5NKJV). By overcoming “We become more than conquerors and experience overwhelming victory through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NLT). By overcoming we become part of Jesus and remain strong in him. It is only those who overcome earthly distractions that will be honored to share in the kingdom of God.

Great Blessings Await Those Who Overcomes

The power of God’s word throughout the Christian Scriptures re-emphasis the importance of self-discipline and promised that there are multiple blessings that await those who will rely on the audacity of God’s grace to discipline themselves and overcome earthly temptations. It states: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne (Revelations 3:21 NIV). Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7 NIV), because “whoever overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11 NLT). “To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it (Revelation 2:17 NLT).

“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the (every evil nation that perpetuate injustice and oppression) nations—He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star” (Revelation 2:26-28 NIV).

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his or her name from the Book of Life; but I will confess their names before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5NIV). “All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name” (Revelation 3:12 NLT). “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21 NLT). “All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children” (Revelation 21:7 NLT). It is by overcoming that “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Victory Can Be Yours

When we discipline ourselves, God gives us the victory he promised us because He loves us. By being strong in the grace of the Lord, in the power of His might, we can overcome the wicked one. This is how God’s grace comes to us through the sacrifice of His Son, that our sins might be forgiven. But we must stay motivated by the love of Christ. We conquer through the power of the love of God within us. Although we suffer persecution and tribulation, nothing can separate us from the love of God, for greater blessings are promised to those who overcome. When we do overcome, “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit will constantly be with all of us” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT). This will be facilitated by the daily renewal of our union with Jesus. For the power of God’s word states that at this time: there is now therefore, no condemnation for those who are in (i.e. those who belong to) Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Decide to Be God’s Child

Leadership speakers and writers often associate decision-making with discipline because it takes a lot of effort to complete a task. Moreover, there are always obstacles in achieving goals which could sway a person to change his or her decisions. However, when individuals are firm in what they have planned and discipline themselves, whatever trials there may be; the purposes can be achieved through perseverance and determination. Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten that godly discipline is a need if one want to live well.

In Charles Colson’s book: “The Good Life” he mentions various life stories, great and small. There are lives that have been exceptional while others are simply “grievous.” In these life examples, those who lived their lives well are known to be God-fearing. In contrast, those who had pathetic lives and ended their lives quite appallingly are thinkers and doers whose systems of philosophies were based on the sinking sands or foundations such as those of mere humanism, atheism or existentialism. This only shows that discipline based on the principles and the power of God’s promised word, the God of Abrahamic covenant, Isaac, Jacob and the God of whose philosophies and principles—people like the late Martin Luther King Jr. embraced can achieve greater goals and dreams and lead others towards a life worth living—an egalitarian life of peace and farness, justice and the general good of all of us, no matter our backgrounds, color, ethnic heritage and tribes, or our ancestral heritage and language.

It is not just about thinking and doing that matters but it is most important for us to base our thoughts and actions on the Word of God who established the clear and right paths for one not only to survive but flourish in a world with competing interest and demands. If legalistic discipline is difficult, it is expected that spiritual discipline is even more so because it involves boundaries which may not be acceptable to the natural human nature. In (Romans 8:7), the power of God word states that: That is why the mind that focuses on human nature (sin, fleshy lust, and selfishness) is hostile toward God. It refuses to submit to the authority of God’s Law because it is powerless to do so. However, when spiritual discipline is acquired, it can result to more productive thoughts, better lifestyle choices, and activities that will eventually be of significance and influence in the present world and the world to come.

Be a Focused Visionary

There is a story about a group of little frogs who competed to reach the top of a high tower. A great crowd gathered to witness the competition and as they proceeded, the spectators saw that the contenders’ feat was simply impossible. Therefore, they shouted at them to give up because the competition was difficult. The competitors continued to climb the tower but eventually, one by one, they each gave up. However, one of the frogs kept climbing despite the shouts of the crowd for him to quit the race. To the amazement of the other frogs and the spectators, the remaining contestant was able to reach the top of the tower. When they later asked the frog how he was able to continue with the competition even though everyone was shouting at him that he cannot make it, they discovered that the frog was deaf. This story pictures how an earnest visionary should be. First, he gets positive thoughts and works hard on them. Of course, it should not be forgotten that such thoughts and actions should be founded on biblical principles.