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, (KJV)
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.
Bible in one year: Isaiah 14:28-19:15, Psalm 33:12-22
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.
Open Heavens 13 August
2016: - Self discipline
“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 recieveth 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.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A
Adeboye
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