What is discipline?

This is a blog committed to delivering daily notes on discipline to your inbox. 

Discipline has a strange reputation. It either causes you to wince and squirm or sets your heart and mind to racing.

You’re either all in with discipline or can’t stand to think about it. 

Whichever your reaction, you may not have paused to think about exactly what discipline is, its role in your life.  

That’s what this entire site is about. It’s dedicated to the single aim of helping you see how discipline applies to every area of your life. 

There isn't one facet of your life greater discipline couldn’t improve. Mainly because discipline isn’t about changing the world around you. It's concerned with shaping the you that’s in the world. 

The American Heritage desk dictionary gives you the following six definitions for discipline: 

dis.ci.pline - 1. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, esp. training that produces moral or mental improvement. 2. Controlled behavior resulting from such training. 3. A state of order that is based on submission to rules and authority. 4. Punishment intended to correct or train. 5. A set of rules or methods.

This blog advocates for a discipline that encompasses the very best of these ideas and not as a dry, dusty idea your dad or coach tried to force on you. 

Discipline is the voice in your head telling you to get out of bed, to do things you’d rather skip and to hang in there a little longer. 

It is usually the first to speak to you in the morning and always has your best in mind. 

Discipline is your best friend. It will take care of you like nothing else. 

Listen to his voice and heed his wisdom. Instead of ignoring and running from his prompts, lean in. 

For all, that discipline may be it is certainly the pathway to victory in every area of your life. 

Asking for permission

You’re going to have to tell people things they don’t want to hear. 

Maybe they did something to offend or hurt you, or perhaps you’ve noticed something in their life that is out of whack and needs addressing. 

Whatever the reason, your love, and care for others will require you to have hard conversations. 

How you go about doing so is paramount. 

One of the best sets of questions comes from Scott Kedersha who will ask, “Can I share something with you?” or “Can I give you some feedback on some things I have seen in you?”

That’s exactly how you approach a difficult conversation. 

Conversations go smoother when you lead by asking permission to share hard things. 

Sadly, people more often choose the opposite approach. 

Be different and stand out from the crowd. 

Care and love enough not only to have the hard conversation but to do so with a soft and gentle touch.

‘You catch more flies with honey’ as they say. 

Simple Not Easy

Reaching the top and achieving your wildest dreams is simple. 

Figure out where you want to go, what it’ll take to get there and chart a plan to make it happen. 

That’s a simple formula, but it’s not an easy one.

It requires lots and lots of hard work. 

Most of all it requires discipline. 

The discipline to:

  • focus over a long period of time. 
  • drill down into the details. 
  • reshape and reform your every habit and routine.  

It takes doing your best at everything you do; reading, working out, laundry, loading the dishwasher, making good food choices, and listening to your spouse. 

It’s a simple road, but the hardest one you’ll ever walk. 

That’s why most people avoid it. 

Hard work and discipline aren’t what they’re looking for. Most people want a quick fix and an easy win. 

But your not most people. You have a drive and commitment to excellence that bewilders the common man. 

You get up and get after it all day because you’re chasing down excellence like a lion on the Serengeti. 

Every decision and every moment bring you closer and closer to victory. 

A victory that isn't bought, or negotiated for. But one requiring character, strength, and patience. 

A victory paid for in the small daily habits of a disciplined life.    

Will You Read “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” With Me?

“Discipline without direction,” Donald Whitney said, “is drudgery.” 

All the times I set out to instill greater discipline in my life, ‘just because’, I failed. It didn’t take and many times served to not only to frustrate but to hinder the growth I needed. Doing things ‘just because you should’ or ‘because everyone else does’ or even ‘because it’s what your hero does’, isn’t necessarily a good enough reason. You must have a deep driving purpose that carries you through. Being disciplined is a wonderful thing, but for it to serve its intended purpose in our lives we must give something to push us towards. It must have direction. 

I have found this to be especially true in the Christian life. Engaging in the Spiritual Disciplines without giving thought to their purpose robs them of their life giving power. For years I’d read my bible, pray occasionally, and attend church on weekends, thinking that engaging in those activities alone was enough. One day that all changed. I became obsessed with growing in Christlikeness. I saw in Romans 8 the Lord’s promise to work in all circumstances and events to shape and mold my character into that of Christ. “God’s eternal plan,” Whitney says, “ensures that every Christian will ultimately conform to Christlikeness.” With that promise as the goal of my Christian life Bible reading, prayer and Sunday worship took on a whole new life. They became the tools The Spirit would use to conform me into the image of Christ. The end breathed life into the means. 

I ran with the what seemed the wind at my back for years. I’d dove into Scripture, memorized verses, and prayed with a fresh energy and desire to know my Lord more deeply. What I didn’t realize was that I was neglecting many of the other tools God has given me, namely the other Spiritual Disciplines. I was nailing Bible intake, but dropping the ball on evangelism, meditation, solitude, and fasting. While Scripture reading is the discipline on which all others hang, I needed to tap into these other means the Lord had given me for my good. 

Whitney says,“God uses three things to change us: 1.) people, 2.) circumstances, and 3.) the Spiritual Disciplines. People and circumstances work from the outside in, while the disciplines work from the inside out.” We only have control over one of those three, namely the Spiritual Disciplines. The other two just happen to us without warning and without permission. 

Spiritual Disciplines are things we do, however. They don’t happen on their own, they require great effort on our part. Which is why so few even try. Barna Research Group reported a survey that showed only 18 percent of “born again Christians” read the Bible every day. That’s a heartbreaking and sad statistic. It stopped me dead in my tracks when I first encountered it. 

“Holiness is not an option for those who claim to be children of the Holy One,” Whitney said, “so neither are the means of holiness. (see 1 Peter 1:15-16)” I’ve already mentioned a few of the means, but in short we call them the Spiritual Disciplines. “Spiritual disciplines,” Whitney said, “are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers.” They are how we place ourselves in the path of God’s grace and seek Him. 

In short, Spiritual Disciplines are things you do to cultivate Christlike joy and character. There is an important distinction that needs to be made before wading too much farther into the waters of the disciplines. You must keep it firmly fixed in your mind that the Spiritual Disciplines concern your sanctification, or growth in godliness, not your salvation. The disciplines we discuss are meant to carry you deeper into the truths of the gospel, not to serve as a path to self-salvation. “Focus on the person and work of Jesus in each of the Disciplines.” Whitney said, “Through them, learn from, gaze upon, and enjoy who Jesus is and what He has done. By means of the Spiritual Disciplines, let the truths of the gospel restore your soul.” 

I took part in an eight-week discipleship program earlier this year, in which we read through Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. It was such a great help in my understanding and enjoyment of the Spiritual Disciplines found in Scripture that I’m going to spend the next several weeks discussing them here on the blog.

Here’s how this will work: 

This series will kick off Sunday, August 20th. That Sunday, I’ll publish a post offering some reflections on what Whitney said in chapters 2 & 3. You’ll be able to join in on the discussion—if you’d like—in the comment section below. 

Then, in the week that follows, we will read the next chapter before once again sharing our reflections together. We’ll repeat this pattern until we’ve finished the book. 

If you’d like to read along, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is readily available. You can find it almost anywhere books are sold. 

I found the best price on Amazon. You can order it here if you’re so inclined. 

Let’s get started

All you need to do is get a copy and read chapters 2 & 3 before August 20th. 
 

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. I earn a small commission should you choose to use them while making your purchase. 

No secret path

There are no secret steps or hidden paths to success. 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re building a business, growing a family, or working towards any important goal, there is only one thing that truly works. 

The one thing that works is honing your craft, day in and day out, doing the right things over and over again. 

It’s not difficult to comprehend. It’s just really hard to do. 

Committing to the process requires a lot of you. It requires things like grit, accountability, confidence, passion, and discipline. 

These things may come more naturally to some than others, but they are all things you can develop and grow. 

You can’t control what you were born with, but you can take giant leaps forward in developing character and discipline today. 

 That’s 100% within your control. 

Apply yourself to those things. 

Commit to them. 

Make them your watch words and see how far they carry you.