When doing what we should sucks... until it doesn’t!
There’s a verse I’ve had written on my mirror for a few days now (the density of toothpaste splatters over it are saying it’s been there for closer to a week)…
It says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful…”
Can I get an Amen?
Discipline can seem like a waste of time and effort.
If I manage to make it a month and the change isn’t significant enough for me to feel it was worth the sacrifices I made… I’m generally done. Only me?
But here’s the thing:
We know in our heads that the discipline is worth it in the long run, right?
and thats what the Bible tells us too…
“but bears the fruit of peace and righteousness.”
What can we do to keep going when the painfulness of discipline seems to outweigh the fruitfulness we have experienced?
What can we do to make the “unpleasantness” of disciple a little more pleasant?
These are question I have been evaluating myself and this is what I’ve found
Taking to heart a couple of verses have been slowly but surely changing my thoughts (and simultaneously my feelings) around the things I need to be more disciplined in and I’m hoping it helps you the same way it has been helping me
Romans 12:2 “…Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (coupled with Philippians 4:8 & 2 Corinthians 10:5)
Did you know that the average human thinks between 60k-80k thoughts a day and that over 80% of them are the same thoughts we thought the day before?!
If you’ve never heard that thoughts lead actions let me tell ya… THEY DO!
So I’m starting to learn how to transform my actions by getting to the root cause of them.
Taking capive the lies I subconciously beleive (because I’ve been thinking them day in and day out for so many years I didn’t even reaslize I was thinking them!)
Thoughts like
“I need that”
“That will make my life better”
“I’ll feel happier/less bored/delighted/better than I feel now if I have that”
(and don’t get me started on blowing the budget on lies I believe about how my kids will turn out if I don’t get/do x,y, & z)
When I began to immerse myself in Truth AND capture the lies OVER and OVER again I noticed that the pain of the discipline wasn’t as harsh…
because the TRUTH that it’s FOR MY GOOD and His glory begins to stick in my mind and transform my attitude and actions
the TRUTH that HIS JOY was not only waiting on the other end of discipline, but is even available for me in the midst of it has rocked my feelings about the pain in the journey and helped me find the courage to keep on keeping on.
