LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapon to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Monday, January 09, 2016

TITLE : The Power & Discipline Of Vision 6

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish (show lack of discipline, throw off self discipline, run wild)." Emphasis added

A person without discipline is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)

Discipline is an ongoing process, not a quick fix . The verb is a present imperative, pointing to a process. This means that you can never say, “I’ve arrived!” It’s like staying in shape physically: You can do it for 15 years, but the day you quit you start getting flabby. You’ve got to keep at it. So, no matter where you’re at in leadership, discipline applies to you. It’s a lifetime process.

I think i should say that discipline is not opposed to the grace of God. Many people resist discipline by saying, “That’s legalistic!” It can become legalistic if your motive is wrong. Grace gives freedom but freedom is not the liberty to do what you feel like doing but it is the liberty to do what you are supposed to do. The word discipline has disappeared from our minds, our mouths, our pulpits, and our culture. We hardly know what discipline means." The first reason for cultivating self-discipline is important is because God commands it. 1 Timothy 4:7 says “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”

John Maxwell on Discipline

"I define discipline, in the beginning of life, as the choice of achieving what I really want by doing things I really don't want to do. Once this becomes a habit, discipline becomes the choice of achieving what I really want by doing the very things I now want to do! I really believe that a disciplined life becomes a joy--but only after we have worked hard to practice it."

True leaders are disciplined people. Read the biographies of giants of church history like Myles Munroe, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Owen, Whitefield, Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Spurgeon, George Muller. In every case, you will find that these were disciplined men. They
never could have accomplished all that they did without being disciplined. I think this is probably the main reason we find a so much deeper, richer Christianity when we go back and read the writings of those that lived in the 17 , 18 , and 19 centuries. The concept of discipline was woven into their lives from birth. It was a virtue that they strove toward and took very seriously.

Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful. Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That's the Law of Consistency. It doesn't matter how talented you are. It doesn't matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key and that takes discipline.
The Bible says, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small" (Prov.24:10).
Days of adversity will come to all of us. Only by consistent, disciplined living can that strength of character be developed in us, that can enable us to face those days of adversity without fainting.

Discipline - True Mark of Maturity

No-one can reach full maturity unless he is disciplined in daily life. Leaders are to discipline themselves in all areas, i.e., eyes, ears, minds, and hearts. The application of the word "discipline" in this context means to divide, to separate, to choose.