Winning Discipline

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Discipline is one of the most hated terms of our times . . . right alongside patience and self-control. But have you noticed how often it comes up in the testimonies of those who win?

The apostle Paul says that he willingly forfeited his apostolic rights for the sake of winning more. That took discipline. Paul says that he endured all things in order to reach his objective; he exercised “self-control in all things.”

Here are key uses of discipline:

• No runner completes the training or a race without it.
• No weight-loss program is maintained without it.
• No human body is kept fit without it.
• No mind is sharpened without it.
• No temptation is overcome without it.

If you want to put a stop to mediocrity, to replace excuses with fresh determination and procrastination with tough-minded perseverance, you need discipline. Winners know that disciplined persistence must be a major part of their training. That’s the only way victory becomes an attainable reality rather than a distant dream.

The undisciplined is a headache to himself and a heartache to others, and is unprepared to face the stern realities of life. (Wheaton College Bulletin)