Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of GodSýnishorn

The Disciplined Man

Remember back in day 1 of these devotionals I told you that being blameless, or above reproach, was the umbrella over the other qualities of a man who is living at full capacity. But without discipline, it all falls apart. A man will never live a blameless life without discipline over his thoughts, feelings, and actions.

In 1 Timothy 3:2, Paul used the word sophron, which can be translated in many ways, such as “prudent,” “temperate,” or “self-controlled.” This is the quality of a man’s self-discipline.

I keep my guns in a fireproof gun safe. It weighs hundreds of pounds and requires a key and combination to access its contents. It is extremely difficult to move and almost as hard to open. The sophron man is like that. He consistently locks down his mind and makes decisions against his immediate pleasures to achieve his ultimate purpose.

This sounds somehow binding or limiting, but it is quite the opposite.

The man who has control over his passions is free to say no to whatever he wants and yes to what is most important. He is free to wait to take action until the timing is right.

Freedom is not the right to do what you want even when it’s stupid, but the ability to do as you ought. As Proverbs 16:17 tells us, “The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives.”

So don’t be like Bill, the guy in a bar who was bragging about his strength and athletic prowess.

One wise and sober visitor piped up, “I’ll bet you fifty bucks that I can push something in a wheelbarrow for one hundred yards, and you can’t wheel it back.”

Bill looked over at the skinny stranger and decided it wasn’t much of a challenge. He shot back, “I’ll take you on!”

The two men borrowed a wheelbarrow and took it to the corner. “Okay,” said the challenger. “Get in!”

Be the man who sees his future and makes decisions against himself.

Be the man who makes decisions against his immediate desires in order to experience his ultimate best future.

What do 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 and 2 Corinthians 10:5 teach about the power of discipline?

This plan is presented to you by Dialed In by Jim Ramos. To learn more about this book, please click here.