OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-SATURDAY-13/08/2016-SELF DISCIPLINE-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
SELF DISCIPLINE
Memorise
But
I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means,
when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1st
Corinthians 9:27
Read
1st
Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Know
ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So
run, that ye may obtain.
25 And
every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do
it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the
air:
27 But I
keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when
I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
KJV
MESSAGE
Self-discipline
is a personal commitment and decision to voluntarily yield every aspect of
one’s life to the Almighty God. This is ensuring nothing controls or influences
your life outside the power of God. You must make no further provision for
anything else to rule over your life except the power of God. For this specific
reason of desiring to be a vessel unto honour, you deliberately narrow your
choices to only what Jesus will have you do at any given time. When a man is
self-disciplined, he will no longer entangle himself with the affairs of this
life or with those things that add no significant value to his life as a
Christian. Presenting your body as a living sacrifice is one of the ways to
impose discipline on yourself.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of
God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service”
Romans 12:1
The fact that
some people are not determined enough to pay the price of self-discipline is a
major reason why things will not work for them the way they expect. In life,
nothing goes for nothing. Until there is a departure from certain things, there
can never be a discovery of great things. No one will amount to something great
until they are ready to make certain sacrifices, which must come through
self-imposed discipline.
Having been a
boxer myself, I can tell you that you can never become a champion in the world
of boxing if you are not programmed to be self-disciplined. When an individual
is not disciplined, he or she will not be able to go far in life. A believer
will have to be disciplined when it comes to certain issues like eating,
sleeping, talking etc. Some people cannot do without comfort for a while. There
are some that are slowed down in life because there are numerous weights that
they are entangled with. When you are not self-disciplined, it will lead to
your being unfruitful and unproductive in the business of God. There are people
who cannot pray as they should because they cannot allow anything to deny them
of their sleep. Some people will always eat when they should be fasting
just because they cannot deny themselves of food. 13 August 2016 open heavens
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain”.
1st Corinthians 9:27
Here, Paul
was portraying the struggles that one must contend with in the Christian walk
if one will have to make full proof of his ministry. Apostle Paul was willing
to make all sacrifices and commitments required in evangelising to the world.
He was obedient to the demands of the gospel because of the assurance that He
who called him was faithful to reward him in due time. As believers, there is
the need to show commitment in self-discipline to the task of our calling as
ministers of the gospel. Those who prepare for competitions with the mind of
receiving perishable rewards still give the competition all the sacrifice
required, this is a big lesson for those of us preparing for eternal rewards.
One must exercise no less commitment or sacrifice. As long as we faithfully run
the Christian race, we can be assured of the gift of eternal glory in Christ
Jesus. No matter the difficulties we encounter, we can be rest assured that the
grace of God can be relied upon.
Prayer Point
Father, please remove
anything that will hinder my greatness from my life in Jesus’ name.
Bible in one year
Isaiah 14:28-19:15, Psalm
33:12-22
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