SELF DISCIPLINE
Memorise: But I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway. 1st Corinthians 9:27
Read: 1st Corinthians 9:24-27, (KJV)
24 Know ye not that
they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye
may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate
in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an
incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not
as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway.
Bible in one year: Isaiah 14:28-19:15, Psalm 33:12-22
MESSAGE
Self-discipline is a personal commitment and decision to
voluntarily yield every aspect of one’s life to the Almighty God. This is
ensuring nothing controls or influences your life outside the power of God. You
must make no further provision for anything else to rule over your life except
the power of God. For this specific reason of desiring to be a vessel unto
honour, you deliberately narrow your choices to only what Jesus will have you
do at any given time. When a man is self-disciplined, he will no longer
entangle himself with the affairs of this life or with those things that add no
significant value to his life as a Christian. Presenting your body as a living
sacrifice is one of the ways to impose discipline on yourself.
Open Heavens 13 August 2016: - Self discipline
“I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service”
Romans 12:1
The fact that some people are not determined enough to pay
the price of self-discipline is a major reason why things will not work for
them the way they expect. In life, nothing goes for nothing. Until there is a
departure from certain things, there can never be a discovery of great things.
No one will amount to something great until they are ready to make certain
sacrifices, which must come through self-imposed discipline.
Having been a boxer myself, I can tell you that you can
never become a champion in the world of boxing if you are not programmed to be
self-disciplined. When an individual is not disciplined, he or she will not be
able to go far in life. A believer will have to be disciplined when it comes to
certain issues like eating, sleeping, talking etc. Some people cannot do
without comfort for a while. There are some that are slowed down in life
because there are numerous weights that they are entangled with. When you are
not self-disciplined, it will lead to your being unfruitful and unproductive in
the business of God. There are people who cannot pray as they should because
they cannot allow anything to deny them of their sleep. Some people will always eat when they should
be fasting just because they cannot deny themselves of food. 13 August 2016
open heavens
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one
recieveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain”.
1st Corinthians 9:27
Here, Paul was portraying the struggles that one must
contend with in the Christian walk if one will have to make full proof of his
ministry. Apostle Paul was willing to make all sacrifices and commitments
required in evangelising to the world. He was obedient to the demands of the
gospel because of the assurance that He who called him was faithful to reward
him in due time. As believers, there is the need to show commitment in
self-discipline to the task of our calling as ministers of the gospel. Those
who prepare for competitions with the mind of receiving perishable rewards
still give the competition all the sacrifice required, this is a big lesson for
those of us preparing for eternal rewards. One must exercise no less commitment
or sacrifice. As long as we faithfully run the Christian race, we can be
assured of the gift of eternal glory in Christ Jesus. No matter the
difficulties we encounter, we can be rest assured that the grace of God can be
relied upon.
Prayer Point
Father, please remove anything that will hinder my greatness
from my life in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye
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