Discipline Yourself

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: 1 Peter 1:13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.

Observation: The phrase “discipline yourselves” shows up three times in the book of First Peter. I just did a quick concordance search and found that, although the word ‘discipline’ shows up multiple times in Scripture, the phrase ‘discipline yourselves’ is only found in First Peter and, as noted above, it is found three times therein.

Application: Self-discipline is perhaps the hardest form of discipline even though it is usually the least painful. Furthermore, it lends itself toward a host of positive outcomes. By contrast, a lack of self-discipline can easily lead one to be confronted by discipline from outside oneself. This discipline can be very painful and even embarrassing, though ideally it too can help point one toward more positive outcomes eventually.

Self-discipline requires intentionality. It’s a proactive movement and a form of personal responsibility. I’ve heard it said, “discipline yourself or someone else will do it for you.”

A question that comes to mind is: “to what extent is such self-discipline necessary or even possible?” I’ve noticed that most people are self-disciplined in some areas and not in others. Some are self-disciplined, for example, in their fitness but not in their relationship fidelity. Or maybe they are self-disciplined in their faith practices but not in their finances. Some are self-disciplined in their professional environment but not in how they manage their personal life. So it goes. Truth be told, most if not all of us have areas in our lives where we are very self-disciplined and other areas where it looks like we let the cows get out. Is it really possible to be self-disciplined in every area of life?

Probably not. We are finite human beings, after all, and while self-discipline tends to offer more pleasant possibilities, one thing it cannot offer is a guarantee. Even the writer of First Peter acknowledged that sometimes people suffer even when doing right (1 Peter 2:20). It also occurs to me that some folks have personalities that are more likely to adhere to a self-disciplined way of life than others.

Still, there’s something to be said for taking stock of one’s gift of life and for endeavoring to live it intentionally with thanksgiving, awareness, and, as Rick Warren reminded the world, with purpose. That requires some self-discipline, not just in the sense of avoiding unhealthy vices, but also in the sense of pursuing worthwhile possibilities, not the least of which is what the author of First Peter put in print: “set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.”

Prayer: Lord, help us all to maintain the balance between self-discipline and thanksgiving for all that you so richly provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included: 1 Peter 1-5)