“Discipline harnessed by the Holy Spirit bears much fruit.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 13, 2024
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. 1 Corinthians 9:27, NLT
My high school football coach had a strategy to keep us disciplined in our training year-round. Coach Ferguson mapped out a seasonal approach, so in the winter, we wrestled; in the spring, we ran track; in the summer, we were conditioning; and in the fall, we played our games. Not to mention, we lifted weights all twelve months. There was no time to get into trouble, though we had our fair share! But notice how much more time we invested in practice and preparation than playing games. Coach knew the fruit of discipline flowed from engaging in an effective process.
Discipline and disciple are very similarly spelled words, and their meanings are strikingly similar. As Paul illustrates, athletic discipline harnesses the body’s passions and strength so that those competing can be in the best condition to excel at their sport. On the other hand, a disciple is a follower and learner of Jesus Christ, seeking to live out what Jesus models and teaches. A disciple is disciplined to train and execute in the same manner as an athlete trains and executes. A disciple without discipline may like the idea of being like Jesus but is unwilling to put in the time and effort to grow more like Christ. Discipline harnessed by the Spirit bears much fruit.
Just as my high school coach helped us become disciplined as athletes, we can set a strategy to be disciplined, fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ. Dallas Willard in The Spirit of the Disciplines gives us a very helpful start as disciples to think in terms of disciplines, “The disciplines are activities of mind and body purposefully undertaken… to bring our personality and total being into effective cooperation with the divine order.” Disciplines are the steps we take to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to become disciples. Knowing that, as humans, we tend to be quickly bored or lose interest, we are blessed with various creative and engaging disciplines that have been proven to work for over 2,000 years in church history. Disciplines are lifestyle practices.
Richard Foster, in his modern-day classic, Celebration of Discipline, describes how the disciplines position us to receive God’s grace to be transformed, “God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving His grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us.” The disciplines do not change us. Our part is to be disciplined disciples so that the Spirit can conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
Are you diligent but stuck? Look for a new, wiser training process. Discover what works for you.
What disciplines might help you grow more like Jesus? Consider a coach. Someone to give you direction and accountability around a disciplined process. A coach can be a more mature believer who is an excellent listener and teacher who patiently walks you through what he or she has learned over the years in becoming a disciplined disciple of Jesus. Or, a coach can be a formal relationship with a paid Spiritual Director. Either option would propel you forward. Invest time in reading Foster’s and Willard’s books with a small group to discuss and apply the principles.
Most of all, spend discipled time with the Lord, listening to His love for you and direction for your life. Discipline to be loved frees your soul from fear and lies and bears the Spirit’s fruit. Over a long period of time, you become more attentive to who God is inviting you to become and where God is inviting you to be. Fruits of discipline come as you practice the disciplines.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the fruits of discipline—peace, patience, and deeper communion with You. Help me embrace self-control and perseverance so that I may grow in faith and reflect Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
What is one discipline you can develop as a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Related Reading
Proverbs 12:1, 25:25; Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 12:11
Worship Resource
Hillsong Chapel: Still
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