This is definitely not the type of picture I usually lead my blog with...agreed?
But it's necessary to get you where I want to take you.
Because today I want to ramble about a subject that none of us are too fond of...discipline...especially the self kind.
I hear those rumblings..."Yes! Just the topic I wanted to hear about today! And the monster picture? Right up my alley. Now, let's see if I can find a more edifying blog out there"...click...
I understand. But bear with me...if you want to find out about the monster, you'll need to keep on reading!
So, what do you think of when you hear the word "discipline"? If you're like me, I bet certain things come to mind...as a child I was spanked, sent to my room, put in a corner, or made to sit next to the teacher's desk for an entire day. I won't say how many times I had a bar of soap put into my mouth...now that was the absolute worst!
The truth is, I always knew I needed to be disciplined...I just didn't like it! Even though I was told it was for my own good, I still pouted and complained and got angry. Thankfully those who loved me continued to discipline me, saying they loved me too much to leave me the way I was.
Is it any wonder then, as we become adults, that God continues this process? After all, He loves us passionately and desires that we be conformed to the image of His Son. And discipline is one way He accomplishes this...always because He loves us and knows what is best for us.
But that's not the discipline I want to talk about today, as important as it is. No, it's that other kind of discipline...the hard one. The one where it's not done to us, but where we get to do it to ourselves!
Self-discipline.
And this is where it gets hard...