I have been called "a control freak," but I don't see myself that way. Sure, I love the rain as long as it doesn't inconvenience me. I love affection when I'm in the mood. I want to lose weight, but don't want to change what I eat or have to exercise. Yes, I want to work only when it fits into my schedule, but is that really being a control freak? Or, is it that I just know what I like and don't like and I'm stating my preferences?
Have you ever had thoughts like this or been accused of being a control freak? Can we be a control freak when it comes to our own life? After all, aren't we supposed to be in charge of our life? Don't consequences happen when we "loose control" and end up in jail, divorced, or at the very least, embarrassed publicly? Isn't self-confidence another sign that you are in control of your life? An old English term is "temperance," defined as "moderation or voluntary self-restraint." I've always liked the word, "Discipline," because it reveals the process of gaining self-control and not just the end result after the work is done. Automobile icon Henry Ford explains it this way, "A man's real education begins after he has left school. True education is gained through the disciplines of life."
We are disciplined as children by our parents, our teachers, and as we grow older by our employers, friends, and educators. All that discipline leads to either self-control or, if we resist discipline, bitterness and resentment. The Bible explains the process of discipline as being trained in it;
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however,
it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11
As you go about your day, consider the challenges as opportunities to reveal how disciplined you are and act accordingly. After all, you are in control of the outcome.
Day 18: Discipline