Last week I heard something that has stuck with me until now. A man said, “Motivation is a feeling; discipline is a choice.”
Those words hit hard!
Motivation is not a bad thing; it just does not last. You might be motivated to do something for a week, but what happens when you do not feel like doing it anymore?
What happens after you read today’s “Monday Motivator?”
That’s where discipline kicks in.
You move into discipline when you decide to keep going, even when you do not feel like it.
Listen, if this is not for you, it is for me! Recently, I began working out consistently – just something small like running 10 minutes a day. Well, the opportunity for me to run a 5k came up. Guess what? I did it! I was so proud that I let my mind think it was okay to take a little break because “I ran 3 miles.”
After that break, I did not have the discipline to start working out. I became comfortable. That first week went from one to two to three, and I will stop there to save myself from embarrassment.
What would be the results for me physically if I decided to be disciplined and keep going?
How do you become more discipline? As I heard once, start small. Don’t set goals that are not achievable. Get some wins under your belt.
Always remind yourself that the greatest results will come out of discipline.
Then continue to choose to keep going. Know when you need a break, but do not let the break go so long that you get confrontable not doing it.
Discipline is uncomfortable, even painful. But later on, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. -Hebrews 12:11 NIV
Years ago, I heard someone say that peace of mind is the most important gift they could give anyone.
Freedom from anxiety, stress, and confusion is a great asset in anyone’s life. Yet, I believe Jesus takes it one step further. Not only is He the author of peace in our minds, but He is the author of peaceful attitudes.
Philippians 2:5 NLT says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
What was His attitude?
Humility: Jesus opted for an attitude of humility. Strong’s Concordance says humility is an inside-out virtue produced by comparing ourselves to the Lord rather than others. For the believer, humility means living in complete dependence on the Lord, with no reliance on self.
Submission: He embraced a mindset of submission to the Father.
Suffering: Suffering for righteousness’ sake was embraced. His pride and prestige were sacrificed for the will of God.
Thinking like Jesus is about embracing a kingdom attitude. It is a willingness to surrender our plan and desires to the Fathers. It is relinquishing our rights to become nothing.
In a poem by Chuck Swindoll, he says, “We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude.”
How can you begin to take the steps of cultivating a Kingdom Attitude?
One of my favorite verses from Jeremiah 29 is not verse 11, “For I know the plans I have for you…” but verse 13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.”
Verse thirteen has been my pursuit recently, knowing more of God. It’s easy to get caught in the motions and cycles of life. Work, family, and all sorts of stuff can keep us unfocused. We forget that God is calling us to go deeper.
He desires a rich relationship with us – like Father and child or your closest friend.
Job and Moses had this type of relationship with the Lord:
“Oh, for the days when I was in my prime when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” – Job.29:4
“The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” -Exodus 33:11
A close relationship with God was not just for those in the Bible; it is something He wants for you too! So now is the time to grow deeper in our relationship with God.
Don’t be satisfied where you are, but ask yourself, “How deep, how wide, and how long is the love of God?”
Will you join me in my pursuit? Today, will you take time to focus on yourself and God despite the things going on around you? Will you make that alone time?
Remember, Psalms 25:14 says, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”
Our brains make quick judgments based on a limited amount of information that isn’t always correct – despite our best intentions. We assume we know WHO they are without thinking twice.
David was labeled. When they saw him, they thought, “No way this could be the son of Jacob that’s a king.” But God saw David’s heart.
God saw the heart of a shepherd, one who would protect his sheep at all costs. So, he was the perfect fit for a king. He would watch over the people God put under this stewardship.
Have you ever been labeled?
Were you not smart enough to do what you always dreamed of doing? Did you let the words or actions of someone other than God define you? Or have you let a past situation or decision label who you are now?
Only God can define and label you.
You’re a child of God.
You’re chosen.
You’re beautiful.
You are capable.
You’re qualified because God qualifies those He calls.
You can do ALL things through Christ.
You’re a new creation.
Another question is, whom are you labeling?
When we see strangers, family members, or those who might have made bad decisions, do we unintentionally label them?
God has a plan for everyone.
Today, I challenge you to start thinking of how God sees them!
Offer the grace you wish others would give you.
Let us abide by James 4:11-12, which tells us, “Believers, do not speak against or slander one another. He who speaks [self-righteously] against a brother or judges his brother [hypocritically], speaks against the Law and judges the Law. If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy [the one God who has the absolute power of life and death]; but who are you to [hypocritically or self-righteously] pass judgment on your neighbor?”
Two weeks ago we talked about being an influencer. Today, I want to take this one step further and encourage you to be a light!
We all know that we live in a dark world, but to create light in the darkness, we have to be the light!
Creating light requires action. We must look for ways in our everyday life to be a light somewhere or somehow.
We do not have to be afraid of the dark because we have everything to take it away. Jesus!
Like the last couple of weeks, this idea is a challenge for reflection because although we are the light, are we being one? Is our light covered? We have the very thing to illuminate and guide people in the right direction.
It’s time to uncover our lights!
Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
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