Discipline
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11
Slowly woke up yesterday morning glad to be alive after running the Boston Marathon Monday. I say slowly because I was moving at a turtle's pace...a sick, injured turtle. It seems that I wasn't the only one. Upon arriving at the airport, I saw hundreds of other runners doing the "marathon shuffle" as they navigated security and looked for their gates. What a sight! When anyone commented on my new "strut", I said, "You should have seen me yesterday, I was on fire. Now I'm barely sending up smoke signals."
All athletes know that it takes discipline to achieve a goal. And it is not always pleasant. There is pain and sacrifice in training. Some of that may be physical and some mental. Regardless, an athlete must push through it and stay focused. So I guess you could say that discipline is painful. But, if you persist and don't give up, you'll find that the victory was worth the pain.
How true that is with our relationship with Christ too. He loves us enough to correct and discipline us when we have strayed from the "training" program-His will for our lives. When that happens, He will correct us in order to teach us. Just as a loving Father corrects His children, God does the same for us. And, if you've ever been "set straight" by your dad, you know it usually isn't pleasant. God, as our Heavenly Father, knows what we require. His discipline forms us into the person we need to be to claim victory through Him. So, rejoice, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4, when you are being disciplined. It means that He loves you and that you are moving forward in your "training", pressing on "toward the goal to win the prize" Philippians 3:14 , for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus-the finish line.
Discipline, for the Christian, begins with the body. We have only one. It is this body that is the primary material given to us for sacrifice. We cannot give our hearts to God and keep our bodies for ourselves.
- Author: Elisabeth Elliott
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us enough to discipline us when we stray off course. May it make us better, stronger and more ready to pursue the goal of heaven and a life spent serving you. We praise you for this and all you do. In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.
Happy Running!!!
*This one's a great addition to your playlist-enjoy
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