Self-Discipline and Self-Control
A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”(Hebrews 12:11)
Edmund Hilary the first man who conquered Mount Everest was asked by an interviewer about his passions for climbing mountains. He gave this replay “it is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves” Peter the great of Russia is quoted as saying “I have been able to conquer an empire but I have not been able to conquer myself” Hugo Grotius, the Dutch Jurist and scholar said, A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city, he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern himself, and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason. Proverbs, One of the Books of the Bible says “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control”. (Proverbs 25:28) There has never been and never will be a great Life without self control.
People who try to gain freedom without self control are like a ship which is free when it loses its rudder; it is free to sail anywhere, even on the rocks. The rule of the sea is applicable in life also. People who try to lead a successful life without discipline are likened to travel in aircraft without Pilot, It is like a ply in a bus without a driver, it is to ride in a bicycle without break and handle. All the failures of a modern man is the lack of self control. A husband or wife who has self control can have harmony in the family-where love ,peace and joy, patience, kindness and goodness, humility, gentleness are supposed to prevail. From Biblical perspective, self control is really Christ-control. The more we give ourselves to him the more strength we are given to control those parts of us that need to be controlled.
Self-discipline is essentially the same as self-control, one of the nine fruits listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. The KJV translation uses the word temperance in place of “self-control” which, like self-discipline, generally refers to our ability to control or restrain ourselves from all kinds of feelings, impulses, and desires, which includes the desire for physical and material comfort. Now, even though self-control is the last of the spiritual fruits mentioned by Paul, and even though it is a term not used extensively in the Bible, self-control is clearly an indispensable attribute of the Christian life, especially as our unredeemed flesh sometimes causes us to succumb to the persistent tug of our sinful desires.
The importance of discipline and self-control confronts us in two ways. First, the Bible requires it. Second, the out-of-control and over-indulgent, self-centered nature of our society clamors for the correction that comes only through a return to personal discipline and self-control. The time to obey God is now. We live only in the present - the past has gone, the future might never arrive. The only time we have to do God's will is the time that is passing at this moment. Now if the present is the only moment in which we live then it is the only time in which we can do anything. Consequently it is now that we are either moving towards God or moving away from him. I cannot obey or disobey God in the past because I am not in the past, nor can I obey or disobey him in the future, because I am not in the future either. Self control is only relevant to the present moment.
Bible says “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,” (Titus 2:12)
This grace is from God, as its eternal Fountain, from which it flows to men is the free gift of God to mankind in the gospel of Christ. This gift is worthy; because it is God’s own Son Jesus Christ. The end is worthy, for it is his own glory and man's salvation. It is the only thing that can bring salvation to man. The effects of this Grace Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. The original word implies the idea of a disciplining process, effected by the grace of God to correct the inherent ill-discipline of the heart. What does this grace teach us to deny? And the answer is it teaches us "to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Without "godliness" we are graceless, and all seeming beauty is meretricious and unreal. We must have control over all the base passions of our nature.
The Bible tells us clearly what it is coming to, especially as it describes the moral conditions of the last days of society In second Timothy 3:1-5 goes on to say, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power." If you skipped hurriedly over the list, thinking you knew them all, you might have missed "without self-control." All the other evil behaviors in the list are examples of the absence of self-control. Discipline and self-control are marks of character. Peter lists it among the seven virtues which, with all diligence, should be added to faith (2 Peter 1:5-7).
Self-control is an essential quality of good leadership. Self control is the art of controlling oneself -- our thoughts, feelings, desires & actions. Where do we get this power? From God, As children of God, the fullness of the Godhead lives within us (Colossians 2:10). That means that every quality of God is in you and me -- God Himself planted them in us in the form of a seed the day we accepted Lord Jesus in to our heart. Over time and through life's experiences, the seeds of Christ's character begin to grow and produce the fruit of His Spirit -- one of which is self-control. God gives us self-control, so we can discipline ourselves. The more I accept God’s control over my life, the more self-control he gives me!
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”(2 Timothy 1:7) the idea of biblical self discipline is having a sound mind – thinking the right thoughts.
The word discipline derives from the Greek word which means "to teach". Wrong-doing results in harm and is therefore to be avoided. True discipline not only guards, but guides. It overcomes evil with good. Effective discipline consists not only of words and acts of correction, but also it involves instruction and exhortation to good deeds and thought. In addition to all this, the most effective discipline is a loving and patient example in all good things.
Good parents refuse to leave their children at the mercy of their own folly. Exerting every effort to prepare their children for successful living, they teach them the needful skills of self-control, respect for authority, consideration for others, and submission to God. This training involves teaching, leading, correcting. In a word, this training involves discipline. The only time disciplinary action is necessary is when self-discipline fails. Therefore, we should teach and embrace self-discipline more. Self-discipline is necessary, not only to keep us from going the wrong way and doing the wrong things, but it is necessary for us to go the right way and to do the right things.
Effective discipline is consistent, but it is next to impossible to be perfectly consistent. Fire always burns, and children learn not to touch it because it is consistently hot. A parent's "no" has meaning only if that parent is consistent, never permitting the child to ignore it. Effective discipline is also positive. The gentle, constant pressure of a dentist's braces can re-align the teeth; likewise the steady patience of a positive parent can shape strong character in a child. Effective discipline demands proper example. Joshua admonished Israel, "Choose you this day whom you will serve," then he added the strong words, "but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," Joshua 24:15. He was a successful disciplinarian of others because he was successful in self-discipline. Finally effective discipline is rewarding. Solomon said, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6.
Our thoughts and words are two areas where the Holy Spirit is constantly prompting us to exercise self-control. Our mouth and our mind work hand-in-hand. The Bible says that ...as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he, and ...out of the abundance [overflow] of the heart, his mouth speaks (Proverbs 23:7; Luke 6:45). The devil is often trying to get us to accept wrong thoughts about ourselves and others because he knows that once we start accepting and believing his lies, it is just a matter of time until we begin to speak them out of our mouth. And, when we speak wrong things, we open the door for wrong things to come into our lives (Proverbs 18:20,21).
People with self-discipline master their temperament and control their tongue. They live by their principles and commitments, not by their preference and emotions. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths. “He who guards his lips guards his life” (Proverbs 13:3).People with self-discipline restrain their reactions. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it” (Proverbs 19:11). Discipline people administer their Finance and make the best use of time. “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (Proverbs 21:20)… Make the best use of your time” (Ephesians 5:15–16).
It doesn't matter what kind of problem we have in our lives, we need self-control and discipline to gain and maintain victory. We have to discipline our mind, our mouth, our feelings, and our actions so that they are in agreement with the Word of God .If you need self-control in any area of your life, don't put it off until another time. Now is the time to start dealing with it. By developing discipline in the practical areas of your life, you will become disciplined in the spiritual areas. Make decisions to do what you know is right and that will allow the fruit of self-control to grow stronger in your life. Lastly, get your mind and mouth in line with the wisdom of God. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) It is important to understand that self-control is a work of the Holy Spirit, not a work of the individual. Indeed, we are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Holy Spirit. Hence We will be victorious in our Christian walk when we exercise our Spirit-given self-control that which helps us respond in obedience to the commands of Scripture and allows us to grow in our spiritual life.
