Discipline Produces Character

So often, we think of being disciplined as something that will produce great results in our lives, thus making being disciplined a selfish character trait.  It is so much bigger than that.  In all actuality, having discipline develops integrity.  It develops a sense of necessary greatness even when you know no one else is looking.  From getting up by a certain time to going to church on a Sunday you don't feel like going to making your bed with the utmost precision, having discipline is about doing everything to the best of your God-given ability.

Every word I use is intentional, but I want to draw attention to two of my last three words: "God-given."  Every positive thing that we do at less than 100% is showing God the utmost disrespect.  There are plenty of people who cannot make their beds in the morning or who do not have anyone to love or who are unable to make informed decisions on whom to vote for.  But we take these abilities for granted and so we do the bare minimum with them.  Do you know that there are people who died so that all of us, black and white, rich and poor, male and female, could vote?  But now we just walk into a booth, pick the person who has the coolest name, and walk out.  People lost their lives for this and we won't lose a few minutes a day to read the news paper.  Come on folks.  Have enough discipline to appreciate the blessings we're given.  As used to them as we are, there are still people in the world who don't have the same privileges.

And remember that, even when you think no one else can see you Someone else can.  No one else will see your bed being made, but God will.  No one else will see the fact that you didn't give that old lady the $20 she dropped, but God will.  No one will care that you didn't exercise and eat right to stay in good shape but hasn't God already done enough for us in keeping us healthy that he shouldn't have to pick up our slack because we didn't want to take care of ourselves?

Have some integrity.  Develop some character.  Be disciplined and do everything to the best of your ability.  It will carry over from one aspect of your life to another and, before you know it, your entire life will be organized and much more manageable.  Your finances will be organized so you won't always be scraping for money at the end of the month.  Your relationship will be more purposeful so you won't be making up for slacking on love the past two weeks.  Your work week will be more evenly spaced because, instead of leaving the office right at 5:00:01 PM, you stayed that extra ten or fifteen minutes on Monday and Thursday so that you could get everything on your list for the day done.  Develop these habits at as soon as possible, because the longer you wait to become disciplined, the more difficult it will be.

Litera scripta manet. - Unknown