Now, I'm not talking about church discipline or something but about 'discipline'. That means, I decide to do something on a given time and I find myself unable to do so, not because I can't but because I don't want too.

An example what the results are:

I'm used to go to bed late, this causes me to be unable to get up early. So I get up at 11 am, basically skipping breakfast. You can imagine that I want to eat then, this results in praying and reading His Word with haste in my heart (which should not be).

But its not only that, also when I need to do something important or to do things for school I often push it forward.
So you might ask, what am I doing if I'm pushing forward important things? Usually just surfing the internet and doing a lot small things, which eats up my time.

Does anyone recognize this? I feel it hinders or might hinder my future relationship with God.
According to a brother I can't just pray for discipline. Can anyone offer some advice or insight?

Ps, I hope I didn't post such a thread before. Atleast I saw nothing coming up on the first page of search. :-)

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Jonathan Veldhuis

Join the military. When I was in high school I used to sleep in until noon on the weekends (usually because I was hung over). I joined the Marines right out of high school, and since that time the only time I've ever slept past 6am is if I am traveling in some other timezone in some other part of the world.

Of course, I'm not serious about you joining the military. But the principles are the same. Do something often enough, and consistantly enough, and it will become habit. Thats discipline.

Coaching football (not soccer, for our non-American friends... I'm talking American football) we drill drill drill... and when we're done drilling, we drill some more. Over and over again until the players can do the drills in their sleep. It's my goal to make sure when they dream at night, they dream about drills.

It's the same principle in living the Christian life. You need to set aside a time when no matter whats going on, thats your time with the Lord. For me, it's 4:30 in the morning. (Sometimes 5 in the morning, lol) At that time of the day the phone isnt ringing, my kids arent running around, my wife is still sleeping. I get the coffee going, and for at least an hour I study the Word and talk with the Lord. And everyone knows that that time is sacred... unless one of the kids is throwing up, I'm not to be disturbed. I shut the office door... and it's just me and the Lord.

My wife's time with the Lord is usually late at night. Same reasons. Kids are in bed, the phone has (usually) stopped ringing, and I'm konked out on the couch with a football game on.

Our family devotional time is usually around lunch time, but it is very flexible. Since we homeschool, we have the ability to be flexible.

These are things that didnt just happen... we had to make them happen. And it takes time to get into that habit... but you just have to prioritize and say "this is the most important hour of the day, and it will not be interupted."

As far as time wasted... I think we all struggle with that. With all the media outlets, and entertainment at the fingertip, it is so easy to get distracted. You just have to find a way to shut it out.

But also keep in mind that down time is not always wasted time. We need down time. Thats why God gave the nation of Israel the Sabbath. Thats why God rested on the 7th day. We are to follow His example. This is why most pastors burn out... they never allow down time.

Krispy

Just wanted to share something from Chuck
Swindoll:

"Discipline is the narrow way to obedience."

"Discipline is how God builds and develops
character and virtue in our lives."

"There is no growth without discipline;
there is no maturity without discipline!" ;-)

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Martin G. Smith

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Ed Pugh

I think it is important to point out that the Spirit filled life is a bit different than living a 'disciplined' life. A person can in effect by discipline learn to immitate a lot of 'Christian' behaviors. But this is not to be confused with a person who as Galatians asks, [i]"Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"[/i]

Our lives as Christians flow from our relationship and communion with God. The whole point of salvation is not to make a lot of disciplined folk that can do all the right things. It is to bring us into a state of Eternal Life (see John 17:3). If we have eternal Life (real and effectual reconciliation to God) and we live our lives in communion with Him- walking in the Spirit- you will [u]not[/u] fulfill the lusts of the flesh. A trillion teachings and disciplines and laws cannot take you to where I am talking about. It's is all about a living relationship with Christ by the Holy Spirit.

The objective is not some weird conformity to some standard. Our objective is that we yield the fruit of the Spirit. The axe is already laid to the root of the tree (Matt. 3:10). No fruit = no fellowship. It is that simple. A person may want the gratification of religion to calm the conscience- but a relationship with Christ will yield the FRUIT of the Spirit. No relationship= no fruit. Discipline cannot produce fruit- discipline [i]is[/i] a fruit (we could argue self-control). Folk that do not produce fruit do not commune with God in a real way. They may have religion- but are they walking with God? No amount of discipline can take the place of fellowship with Christ. It [u]IS[/u] what we need. It is the solution to our lack of spiritual self-discipline.

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Robert Wurtz II

Warrior,

I suggest you set some goals for yourself. You recognize that you must be lazy - you are allowing your own life to just float along - you see the need for structure.

So, you get a paper and pencil and make a list of the things you need to do to get some structure. (I wonder how can you afford to stay in bed until 11 AM? No job? No chores? What are you doing at night that you can sleep so late? Blows my mind...)

Some things you might want to consider:
1. Time with the LORD.
2. Perhaps there are others iun your household who need assistance: get up and help them.
3. Go to school.
4. Get a job.
5. Limit your time with media, like the internet, watching TV, DVDs, movies.
6. Take on a hobby.
7. Get creative with something that interests you.

Brother, you need to get busy and the easiest way is to look around you and when you see a need that needs to met, allow God to use you to satisfy that need. This is the short of the long, or the essense of my post.

Blessings,

ginnyrose

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Sandra Miller

Did you get a new heart when you were saved? Not the organ that pumps the blood, but the inner being, the want-to if you will let me use a common term. Did He put a new Spirit within you. What is your passion now after you were saved? How are you different? How many God things do you do during the day, prayer, Bible Study, helping other people, Honoring your Mother and Father so that you may enjoy a long life? Everything you do, do you think of it being as unto the Lord. Honoring your parents is a commandment with a promise. That commandment is not conditional, on whether they deserve the honor is not an option to disobey as long as it is not being disobedient to the Lord. Add up all those things up that you do during a 24 hours period and then other things that are done to satisfy yourself and see what the percentage is on self and how much for HIM. I don't know what these answers are for you. You should be able to examine yourself and see. The Bible teaches us to examine ourselves. When you do examine yourself and you don't see the heart is right then have a talk with the Lord and get your heart right, if it's not. You can't do it on self effort. The Lord and the His Spirit gives us the want-to, or it's all in vain. We are not saved by works, but unto good works. We don't work to be saved, but if we are saved, you will see some works in our life as a result of our salvation. Not just part of the saved will see that, but all will see if it is there. I will be praying for you.

Thank you for your replies and insights brothers and sisters!
Actually the thought has crossed my mind that I should have joined the army, so discipline would have been drilled in I reasoned. But that was just a silly thought. Yea its true I/we need some down time, but I have a tendency to take it while you can't.
Reminds me of proverbs, in the time of harvest you don't continue sleeping. But even during the time of harvest we need rest. So thats true. :-)

The way Sojourner put it is how I thought about it. But can discipline become a 'work'?
Anyhow, I do notice that a lot great men and women of God have a lot of discipline.. or its simply flowing out of their passion for the Lord? If thats the case it cannot be learned.

You are right RobertW, I do desire a Spirit filled life. Now at the moment I do have a desire to give the Lord an houre in the morning. It's just that I can't do it if I dealt unwisely with my time from the previous day. I'll have some more thought about your post.

@ death2self,
Yes I could ask God for that, and I can certainly see that its a scary prayer. But even though its scary, it is the best.

@ Ginnyrose,
The reason I stay in bed till 11 am is because its still my summer holiday and my job. In order to earn enough cash to get married I'm doing afternoon shifts which are from 3pm till 11:30pm or even later. I usually work 2 or 3 days a week because its too heavy for me to work a full week. The other days when I'm off I find it very difficult to just go to bed at 10pm so I can get up at a decent time. (7am) So don't worry that I'm going out drinking, dancing and partying. :-P

With school I can't just have a quiet time in the evening because I get too tired. Thats why I am trying to move it to the morning.

Today I wrote down some things on a list and it did help a bit.
Point 5 is a good one, I don't watch tv on my studentroom because I don't have one. It eats 2 much time and its mostly junk anyhow, same with dvd's. But when you are talking about internet its another deal.. I do spend much time on internet.
Still when school is starting I'll be very busy. Looking back to previous year I noticed that I was pushing a lot of tasks forward so I would not be to busy, only to find myself being flooded with work at the end. Lazy servants are not portrayed that positively in the Bible!

Yea I do see the need of structure... 1st the law so structure gets stamped in and then grace...? :-)

I love you guys; your brother in the Lord,
Jonathan

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Jonathan Veldhuis

Hi brother moe_mac,

I know what its like to be totally captured by Christ! After being saved I devoured the Word and I couldn't wait to be done with my internship at that time to be with God! How glorious and wonderful as everything grows strangely dim compared to the glory of Christ. :-D
But I know that I don't have this much passion about the Lord as at the start and this troubles me.
I'll have some thought about the questions you ask. I heard a Paul Washer sermon yesterday where he also stated that honoring your parents is not optional.

Can one have a new heart and a new Spirit and not be dead to self?
Thank you for your reply!

Shalom,
Jonathan

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Jonathan Veldhuis