THE WAY OF DISCIPLINE

“WHAT A WRETCHED MAN AM I” -Paul, the Apostle

  Would you ever say that?  Would you call yourself wretched in a book that billions of people would read –FOREVER!!  Just so you also know, the word “wretched” here is talaiporos. It means also afflicted (like with leprosy), miserable, and disturbed.  The word “man” here is not adam, speaking simply of a man in general.  The word used for “man” here is anthropos.  This word speaks of how far humanity is from where God wants them.  It’s the word used when you fall short and say, “I’m only human.”  He’s essentially saying, “What a diseases, deformed, pathetic, lowly, humanoid-form am I.

AND THIS COMES FROM PAUL!!  Paul is like the discipline master.  He was a chief Pharissee meaning he studied and mastered the Torah, taking thousands of hours to do so, he wasn’t married and chose to remain celibate, he preached clean living throughout the New Testament, and claimed to have spent more time speaking to the Holy Spirit than anyone else alive at that time.

He says, “I know the good that I want to do, but I cannot carry it out.  No!  The evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing!”  Basically he’s saying that he stops at McDonalds, loses his temper, judges, sleeps through prayer time, drinks Starbucks, or misses his Chiropractic appointment –all on occasion – even though he knows he shouldn’t.

So if Paul, possibly the founder of discipline, falls short occasionally, what chance do we have?  The first thing to understand here is, YOU WILL FALL SHORT OCCASIONALLY.  You are in fact, anthropos. The second part and the #1 rule of discipline is what he says next.  Paul shouts, “Who will save me from this body of death?”  or “Where will I ever get discipline from?”

This is inspiration from motivation, he says he’ll get it from God, from his Lord, Jesus Christ.  He makes his body a “living sacrifice.”  He eats, sleeps, and works as a commitment to God and not himself.  While he might want ice cream and coffee every day, he knows that’s not going to keep him vital and serving God and people very well or for very long.  So he turns discipline into obedience. 

We’re all “wretched” folks who will fall short of perfection on a regular basis.  But, with a focus on doing things for God and recognizing we really do have a BODY BY GOD, and a body for God, through God, and to God we’ll do right more often than wrong and serve God, the people we love, and ourselves well.  Just like Paul, we’ll also have the love, grace, and mercy of God to let us move past our past and go optimistically into the future.

With God, all things are possible, 

Dr. Ben