To Do or not To Do

You know the Word of God tells us that He didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of Power, Love and Self-Discipline…(2 Tim.1:7) It also tells us that the Just live by Faith and that without Faith it’s impossible to please God…I mean, there are so many scriptures that talk to us about Faith. But as of late I’ve become equally interested in this Power that God gave us mentioned in that scripture.

Now in previous talks we’ve discussed God-given power as identity and mindset - and those are extremely powerful. But today I want examine that very specific 3-pack of Divine attributes that God knew we would need to access the Victory of Jesus here in the visible world: Power, Love and Self-Discipline.

He knew we would be tempted and possibly seduced by all kinds of options that would only derail us as we begin to follow Jesus and walk out His plans for our lives. So Self-discipline is a Divine characteristic, and I’ve learned that it has to be developed to produce results.

By my observation, this Divine ability to be self-disciplined is potentially the most underdeveloped characteristic in most adults. But first, let’s define self-discipline:

The ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses;

the ability to pursue what one thinks or believes is right or best, despite temptations or challenges.

The Breakdown

So we don’t even have to go very far with that one. Because we’ve all had or have something in our lives that’s challenging to change or walk away from even when we know it’ s flat-out wrong, unhealthy, illegal or just lazy or mean.

It’s almost as if we’re self-disciplined enough to get through the basics to stay out of jail, keep a job, drive the speed limit, but when it comes to 100% personal choices…self-discipline doesn’t show up the same way.

So let’s think about this…Think about your ability to keep your mouth shut and not speak your mind when you really want to; the ability to refrain from eating another slice of pizza or cake; the ability to push yourself to get your body to get to the gym…these are the places where I’ve experienced the greatest weakness. Weakness to not do something and to-do.

So the lack of self-discipline is sneaky because it can show up and look like procrastination or self-sabotage, which are not quite the root of the issue. The root issue for me wasn’t procrastination or self-sabotage -but  this consistent pattern of behavior to choose the path of least resistance. Because that new behavior would take me out of my comfort zone…and I just never felt like doing that.

This is what makes change so difficult. Self-discipline is the ability to overpower what I call the “I don’t feel like its”.  Which  keep you stuck  - because you’re never going to feel like it until -as the saying goes- your “why” is bigger than your “but”.

However as it turns out, we have to know the why to our current behavior, and a deep enough why to the new behavior.

Most people never get a deep enough first why. They just know they want to lose weight or quit smoking, or stop watching so much tv, but they never ask themselves why that behavior is showing up in the first place. Then they also don’t have a solid second why for the change in behavior. We need both of those why’s.

But there’s more, In addition to the two “why’s”, I’ve learned another thing about self-discipline. It’s  strengthened along with Love and Power -they all work together. It’s easy to just want to pull out one aspect, but I’m continuing to learn that so much about what God has given us are ingredients that work together.

It’s takes power and self-discipline to walk in love, it takes love and self-discipline to maintain your power; and it takes love and power to walk out self-discipline.

The Unseen muscles

And that was the tough part that I was missing for so long -

Just because God gave us self-discipline, it doesn't automatically mean it’s strong enough to overcome  emotions or weaknesses. 

Like a physical muscle, it has to be trained, along with love and power, to produce the grit, determination, the stamina and patience it takes - to make the right choice- and keep making it -until you see the desired changes in your behavior and in your life.

And self-discipline is not a one and done. It’s takes being consistently honest with yourself and working to understanding yourself -which is how you discover your "why’s."

So if it’s emotions, do you lack self-control with everyone, or is it just one person? Or regarding one issue? 

If it’s food is it all food, or just high-sugar, high-fat, high salt foods? 

If it’s overspending money is it on just one particular app or just across the board?

These are the kind of questions you want to begin to ask yourself to get to your why.

And for the second why - what’s the pay off? Does that why have deep enough roots to sustain you through the process?

Do you want to lose weight for a specific event, or is there a health reason?

Do you want to quit smoking for your co-workers or for your kids?

As you dig into your second why, notice what kind of reasons begin to have an instinctive pull for you…

I will say long term benefits do tend to have the greatest incentive, particularly if it involves love-ones.

Cross-Training

Okay so you probably have that one thing that’s hard for you to control or do or not do in your life. For me it was emotional eating and going to pizza and wine way too often; not understanding at the time I was using it to paste over my painful or stressful emotions.

But as I started to go to God with my feelings, casting my cares on Him (https://www.soulfreeacademy.com/product-page/releasing-anxiety) - my desire for pizza and wine decreased because I began to understand what was really going on with my emotions; and I started to feel relief from releasing them to God, not stuffing them with food…this was the beginning of personal power.

And a great by-product of going to God with my emotions is that He’s healed me on so many levels when it comes to self-love, self-approval and knowing my worth just because I’m His Child…so here comes the love component.

He built me up from my Soul with Power and Love: and that by-product for me has been self-discipline.

And now that I can face my emotions with my self-esteem is restored; I can access my God given self-discipline. Now I have  the self-control and fortitude, founded on love and power, to walk out a life of glory to glory - of  being conformed into the image of Jesus.

CONCLUSION:

So how does it work for you? How have you dealt with coming through for yourself? How do you deal with the “I don’t feel like its”? 

Feel free to share in the comments-

Until next time,

Deane