“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or
the pain of regret or disappointment.”
— Jim Rohn (1930–2009)
Is there any collaboration between the words “discipline” and “disciple”?
The disciple is disciplined in following their master. If we are a disciple of
Jesus we take up our cross, for such a disciple truly has chosen to pick up
their cross daily (see Matthew 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27). Taking
up our cross is hinged to discipline; every right and moral kind to the
aversion of sin, for sin (and folly) will lead to regret and disappointment.
Having been saved by Jesus’ obedience on the cross, and having
died to sin by the Holy Spirit’s sanctification, we are to live daily with this
power to live the resurrection life.
The resurrection life is the power for discipline; the joy to go
without; peace within to abstain and engage; yes, the joy to take part in real
life. These disciplines of the life raised in Christ propel us in growth so we
would disengage from many powers for sin and simultaneously engage with many
powers for life. This is health.
Disciplines
of the Cross
Living the resurrection life is a concurrent twofold reality of
God’s grace and blessing to live the disciplined life. This is, as I’ve said,
power to both abstain and engage.
We abstain by seeking our solitude and silence, by fasting, by
being appropriately frugal and seeking to attain and maintain our chastity, and
by the integrity of secrecy (keeping confidences and denying our pride of
bragging), and ultimately by our commitment and strength of virtuous sacrifice.
We engage by a study pattern that works for us, by our worship,
and our celebration of life and God, through our service, and committed action
to prayer, and by fellowship with believers. Finally, we engage via confession
and submission unto God.
These disciplines of the Cross are not easy, but they are
abundantly worth it.
These disciplines of the Cross, though they require commitment
and effort and maintenance, redeem for us a broad corpus of blessing, for our
commitment to such disciplines saves us from both regret and disappointment as
these are personally concerned.
We cannot be truly happy unless we work for our happiness within the grace
apportioned to us by our Master. The Christian life is no freebie. God has
saved us and will continue to deliver us into the new life, but we must take
our responsibility—taking up our crosses, daily, and by each moment—in living (by action) this resurrection life.
***
There is no true life other than the resurrection life—to take
up our cross and work diligently in obedience to the Lord. When we put the Kingdom of God first, doing right things to the
best of our ability, God ensures we are blessed.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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