There are two words that don’t come natural or easy for me to live out. Through God’s strength and grace I am constantly striving to grow in these two things that would be impossible for me to embrace without Him….What are they?
Discipline.
&
Patience.
Through the years my understanding of these has changed: when I was younger, like any other kid, I hated them… they meant I couldn’t get my way or have what I wanted. As I grew up, by my parent’s guidance, I learned to accept them as needful but I struggled because people would say things like: “Why haven’t you done ____ yet?” “Don’t you want _____?” “When are you going to _____?” It made me resent the fact that I was choosing to wait & the voice of rebellion in my heart would say: “Why don’t you just get what you want? Why wait?”
Through God’s grace I’ve learned that whatever I desire will not make me happy or give me freedom once I have it. In contrast, by waiting for God’s perfect time, one day I will be able to fully enjoy what I am waiting on. But I don’t have to wait until then to be satisfied or fulfilled. There’s nothing more joyful than going to Christ for satisfaction and letting go of the fulfillment that I thought could be found in a person, experience, outcome, possession, or desire. I have learned to say “I shall not want” because He is the One my heart was made for.
Today and I’m learning to cherish and embrace self-discipline and patience. The two go hand-in-hand: discipline requires patience & patience requires discipline. They cannot be separated. They are not easy, but I’ve been able to see the beautiful fruit in my heart, mind, and life when I choose to wait on God’s timing for what is best rather than pursing what I feel I need now. I’m a work in progress; always learning. It is a life long-journey, not a destination. But I can say that the lessons discipline and patience have taught me are priceless.
One of my favorite quotes on this subject is:
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now & what you want most.”
Self-discipline in my life looks like examining my time & thoughts and asking if I’m spending it in a way that is beneficial or destructive? Am I walking in a way that is wise, directing me towards my goals and the person God is calling me to be? A lack of self-discipline leads to self-destruction and hurting those around me. Like the quote says, having self-disciple may mean having to say “No” to something, even if it’s good, so I can say “Yes” to what is best. Self-discipline leads me to choose what is best which ultimately leads to greater freedom. I’m free to say “No” because my flesh no longer has power over me and through Christ’s victory I am free to say “Yes” to what He has prepared for me: a life of joy and peace, love and freedom in Himself.
Discipline and patience are painful to practice because they stretch & pull you out of your comfort zone but lead to growth and character. It’s a daily, intentional decision to choose what causes growth…You may be questioning if staying & growing in patience and discipline is worth it. I love what Hannah Brencher, an author and speaker who shares a lot on this subject, says: “We don’t just walk away and call it quits when stuff gets hard. Life is hard. Life will deal you some tough blows. The hard stuff produces character and I know I could always stand to have more character. So I stay.”
James 1:4 reads – Learn well how to wait so you will be strong, complete, and in need of nothing. If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.
My prayer is that we learn to wait well & enjoy the season we are each in with contentment and joy. I pray God grant us the grace to stay in the hard, uncomfortable places that lead to growth. I pray He give us the wisdom and grace to practice self-discipline and patience. I pray we depend on Him for strength and follow His voice: calling us to wait and trust Him because He knows what is best.