Discipline is the master key that unlocks the door to greatness.
24?Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25?All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26?So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27?I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Cor 9:24-27 NLT
We cannot Win in this race without discipline
Discipline/Self-Control/Self-Discipline
What is Discipline?
Discipline is the unshakable commitment to do what must be done, no matter how you feel.
If we want to Run to Win there is no way around discipline…There are no shortcuts.
Many people are not disciplined because it is not easy…we don’t feel like it
Discipline is sacrificial, painful, uncomfortable, we have to do things our flesh does not want to do.
Here is what I know about me maybe it is true about you as well.
Why we tend to avoid discipline.
Illustration: I’m like water.
Water will generally flow in the Path of least resistance
This is a principle The path of least resistance
When it comes to human behavior it implies that individuals often choose the most convenient or familiar option, even if it might not be the optimal choice.
I do my stretching on the Treadmill
The Stretching area is not far away but right next to this area is the stairs
And so when the routine is done and I’m ready to go it is easier to just walk down the stairs
Disciplined myself to just stretch right there.
We can be disciplined people we can exercise discipline in our lives how do I know.
God gave us Discipline:
7?For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Tim 1:7 NLT
According to Gal. 5:22. Did you know that when we walk with the Spirit that discipline is a fruit that God wants to produce in us?
We want the Holy spirit to produce all these other fruits but self-control, self-discipline I think I can pass on this one
Can I submit to you that though you may experience some degree of all of those.?
If we paid more attention to discipline or self-control
We would experience more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,?gentleness
Discipline is so important Here is why
28?A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Pr. 25:28 NLT
But you don’t understand discipline is hard. And in the beginning that is true.
But discipline is like a muscle the more you exercise it the stronger it becomes.
Remain disciplined even when it gets hard.
Illustration: Bathroom on the Treadmill
One of my hardest runs on the treadmill…I had to go to the bathroom.?
It was gradual but get keep coming on and on until it was full on.? Like I have got to get to the bathroom asap.? But I wanted to reach my goal. So I kept going on the treadmill.?
I would love to say the feeling of having to pee went away Oh no.
Faced with 3 choices:
Stop and go to the bathroom
Go to the bathroom right where you are and run on a wet treadmill.? Which is dangerous and I don't recommend.
Or let Discipline kick in and press on to the goal.
Discipline is not a punishment. It’s a form of freedom. It’s the freedom to live your best life. To achieve what you’re capable of, and to become the person you have always dreamed of becoming.?
Paul gives us this imagery of an Athlete running to win Compares it to the Christian life run to win
Both require discipline or strict training not trying Paul is not telling us to try really hard
Eat right - nutrition is key…practice running
Work on endurance…Strength training
Doing the necessary things to be in the best physical condition you can get your body into
Willing to endure pain
Sacrifice time relentless, focused, determined and intentional
Illustration: Have the goal of running a marathon
Lets say right now I am 35LBS overweight
I have not run since the 8th grade. I haven’t exercised in years
Last night for dinner I had twinkies and desert I had more twinkies
But I really want to run a marathon. So I sign up to run
The day of the race I’m stoked, I’ve got the Eye of the Tiger blaring in my airpods
I take my place among the crowd of runners waiting for the gun to signal the start of the race
The person standing next to me introduces herself. She asks me how long you been training
I responded training, I haven’t been training, I actually haven’t run since the 8th grade.
Really that’s interesting she says. Then she asks, Hey whats that on your shirt
I look down and say oh that’s twinkie filling I guess some squirted out during my prerace breakfast.
The lady seems confused.
Are you feeling confident you will be able to finish the marathon, she asks
Ya I smiled because I’m going to try really hard
She questions me, Your going to try really. Hard
And I fearlessly respond…Yep…Snap a quick selfie to capture the moment just in case I set a course record
The starting gun fires
The runners take off
I didn’t train but now in the race I’m going to try really hard
Am I going to make it. Am I going to finish the race.
NO before long I’ll be lying on the side of the road throwing up twinkies and crying for my mommy
Why. Because I tried really hard but I did not train. I was not disciplined.
The only way I was going to complete the marathon was to do has Paul said
Conclusion: 27?I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.
Do the necessary things that are required to complete the race.
Whether I feel like it or not.
Discipline has to be applied to the most important areas of our lives
Discipline It is how we get closer to God
How you have an awesome marriage
How you raise great kids
How you forgive the person that hurt you
How you stop looking at Porn
It’s how you develop success on the job
Discipline is the master key that unlocks the door to greatness.
IN order to Run to Win
An Unshakable commitment to do what must be done, no matter how you feel.
We have to be Disciplined
We can be Disciplined
Will we be disciplined…Pick that one thing that we know we should do we don’t feel like it.
Or Pick that one thing we should stop doing but we don’t because we don’t feel like stopping
That is Discipline
God has given us the Ability to be Disciplined just as he was disciplined
Discipline is what kicked in when Jesus was facing the hardest
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Ma 26:39NLT
He didn’t feel like going to the cross but He did.
Jesus was disciplined to suffer so that we might have life.
