Develop Discipline

Scripture: Proverbs 12.1; 13.18; Matthew 7.21-29; 1 Timothy 4.7-8


Bart says to Homer: “Dad what religion are we?”

Homer – “You know, the one with all the well-meaning rules that don’t work in real life.
Uh. . .Christianity.”

I think that really is the way a lot of people view the faith, some non-Christians too.
We have lost confidence in the faith to teach us anything of use in our daily lives. As I have said before, we no longer look at Jesus as a person of competence. It doesn’t occur to us often that He has something of use to say to us about how to live our lives.

Christianity has been reduced to:

A bunch of “well-meaning rules that don’t work in real life.”
An easy-pass to forgiveness and a ticket to heaven someday


Is this all there is to Christianity?

Christians through the ages would say no. There is so much more. Believing in Jesus is entry into the Kingdom of God. Participating in the Kingdom transforms us and life around us as far as we have influence. John Wesley described salvation this way as a decision for Jesus that then is worked out in personal piety and social justice. Real power for real life, friends.

G.K. Chesterton once famously wrote, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. Christianity has been largely untried.”

Most people for much of their lives, at least, have been engaging in one of those counterfeit Christianities that have little to do with following Jesus. The wisdom of Christ is available to all but is forced on no one. It must be asked for. It must be pursued. The pursuit of wisdom, which is really the way of discipleship, doesn’t happen by accident and without effort. It takes discipline.

Dallas Willard makes this comment in the study guide to The Divine Conspiracy: Christians of the nineteenth century were used to listening to long, complicated sermons on a Sunday morning. They went home, had dinner, and spent their afternoon talking about the sermon, seeking to apply the wisdom to their lives. This almost never happens today. The twentieth century illusion is that the truth of God can be easily learned in a short snappy sermon.

What is wrong with us? When you go to the dentist or the surgeon, you darn well expect that those professionals spent years of study and preparation learning their craft. It didn’t come easily. When you are in the chair or on the table, you don’t want their training to come easily. Most of us spent considerable effort learning things like Algebra and biology in school. It was difficult but it came with effort. The early Christians expected that the wisdom and mysteries of God would only be theirs with a lifetime dedicated to study and effort at living with the Master.

We complain if the sermon goes a few minutes longer.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about costly discipleship. “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”

So how do I become a disciple? By training, not just by trying.

If I was asked to run in a marathon tomorrow, could I do it? I could start it, but I wouldn’t finish. I would collapse from exhaustion. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I pushed, if I coughed up a lung, still I would not be able to do it. Why? Because I hadn’t trained to do it.

Likewise, following Jesus as disciples has only a little to do with trying harder and much more to do with training to be disciplined.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs 12.1

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” Proverbs 13.18

The Proverbs tell us that the ways of living life well are yielded to us when we are willing to learn discipline and correction. If we are not, are lives don’t work. We become life-poor. And that’s a shame.

“Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4.7-8

Did you hear that last part? Godliness has promise for the present life and the life to come. How interesting! Do you believe it?

Do you know who Mike Rowe is? Mike Rowe is the host for a program on the Discovery Channel called Dirty Jobs. You think you work at a dirty job? You should check some of the places and jobs Mike Rowe has been on! I read an interview with him this week and he said something interesting.

“My thesis is simple. Thirty years ago I don’t think this show would have worked, because people still knew that our weight was being carried by guys who do this kind of stuff for a living. But we have bought into this notion that working hard is worse than working smart. So why are the people on my show happier than you? What do they know that you don’t? They love being done, and they love knowing when they’re done. Clogged tank? Not anymore. Nice to meet ya. Dead deer in the road? Not anymore. Catch you next time. All day long those little victories spread through the day, week after week. Before you know it you self-actualize. The world makes sense.”

Living in the Kingdom can be difficult because it takes effort and the job never seems to be done. The answer?

Little victories. Little victories come through disciplined habits that change us over time. In fact, that’s the definition of a “spiritual practice,”

“any habit done over time that can help me gain power to live life as Jesus taught and live it.”

Some basic practices: solitude, servanthood, confession, meditation on scripture, celebration.

These and others are the stuff of wise and disciplined training for a Christian. Do these things over and over and “the world will begin to make sense.” John Ortberg suggests some things to keep in mind as we develop discipline:

Wise training respects our unique temperament and gifts.
Wise training will take into account our season of life. (All of life counts.)
Wise training responds to the inevitability of troughs and peaks.
Wise training begins with a clear decision.


It is impossible to recognize, let alone follow, someone you’ve never met. To train as a Christian you must decide to become one. You must meet Jesus. That could happen right now for you. In fact, I can’t think of a better time than right now.


“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like the intelligent man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Matthew 7.24-25