With our country being in the middle of the Presidential campaigns I can’t help but think of Ronald Reagan, who was my favorite President. In March of 1981, Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley Jr. He had just finished addressing a lunch meeting and was walking to his vehicle. He was surrounded by his secret service agents as he walked.
Imagine what it was like when those shots rang out. There were six of them. What would your response have been? Our natural response would have been to duck or run away from the shots. But, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy did something against his nature, the fourth bullet hit Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy in the abdomen as he spread his body over President Reagan to make himself a target.
You see, he had disciplined himself in such a manner that he went against his nature. Rather than instinctively avoid a gunshot, he purposefully put himself in front of that bullet to protect the President. McCarthy had been trained to deny his nature. He disciplined himself in such a manner that despite the terrifying circumstances, he instinctively put himself in front of the bullet.
But what about Godliness? What does it mean to discipline yourself for the purposes of Godliness?
1 Timothy 4:7 tells us:
“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”
It is so easy to allow excuses to interfere with the discipline process. One of our most popular excuses is to use our personality or our nature as an excuse. I am an introvert, I can’t go out and witness to strangers, I would never be able to do that. I have a hard time talking to people, I would never know what to say.
I think of myself as disciplined person. If you ask people that know me well, they will tell you that I am very determined. When I decide to do something that I really want to do, I will work very diligently to accomplish it. I have often surprised myself at the things I have been able to do. Why? Because I have disciplined myself to figure out what is necessary to complete the task and work very hard at it. The reason I am able to do these things is because it is my nature. It is the way that God created me. I have always since I was a small child, been very disciplined in pursuing the things that I have set my mind to.
But, the truth is, most of the time these are nothing more than empty pursuits. So how do we discipline ourselves for the purposes of godliness?
1. Discipline Yourself for Godliness by Denying Your Nature
As I said above, disciplining yourself for godliness comes when you deny your nature. Our nature is to pursue self and self-protection. But much like, Tim McCarthy, we must deny our nature and be willing to pursue Christ even when it is not comfortable. Disciplining yourself for godliness requires a willingness to go outside of your comfort zone and to make a commitment to live a godly life.
2. Disciplining Yourself for Godliness Begins in the Mind
Disciplining yourself for godliness begins in the mind. You must set your mind to it. Before any outward actions, you must first inwardly commit to pursuing godliness. This commitment entails a willingness to labor for the purpose of godliness.
Without a mindset on glorifying God, your efforts at discipline will lead to nothing more than empty pursuits. Paul warns Timothy to have nothing to do with worldly fables, or what we would call old wives tales. These things distract us from the truth contained in the word of God. We must commit our minds to God’s word if we are going to be successful at disciplining ourselves for godliness.
3. Discipline Yourself for Godliness by Creating New Habits
We have all developed habits that distract us from pursuing godliness. Perhaps we spend too much time watching our favorite tv show or surfing the net rather than spending time in the word. Perhaps we are prone to busyness rather than diligence. Perhaps we are more like Martha than Mary, always running around preparing and rarely sitting at the Lord’s feet. These are habits we must change.
But it is not enough to put off old behavior, disciplining yourself for godliness requires you actively put on new habits. You must train yourself for godliness which requires new habits. Disciplining yourself for godliness means your pursuit is ongoing and becomes a part of who you are. Just as any habit is second nature to you, so must your pursuit of godliness be.
4. Discipline Yourself for Godliness by Relying on God’s Grace
When pursuing discipline, we can easily get to the point where we become obsessed. We can either fail to relax or fail to take joy in our pursuits. We must find balance.
Make sure that you are working when you should be working so that you do not feel guilty when it is time to rest. Part of being disciplined is knowing that God created you for rest and that He wants you to have life abundantly.
It is only by His grace that I can work hard to accomplish His purpose in my life and also relax as to the outcome. I work hard to lead my children to the knowledge of who He is, but their ultimate salvation is dependent on God, not me. I cannot save them no matter how hard I labor. It is only through His grace that I can discipline myself for Godliness and have the rest, He created me to enjoy.
This is what it looks like to discipline ourselves for Godliness.
I would love you hear your thoughts, what are the things you pursue to discipline yourself for Godliness? Leave a comment and then go and do something to make today your Favorite day!!
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