The Freedom of Discipline

Jordan McKinney

I have recently been trying to work on my discipline. I know this sounds like a very fun subject to be covering, but I have been learning a lot about myself and spirituality by just adding normal disciplines in my own life.  

At the start of my journey, I was working on getting up early to work out, eating right, getting better control of my diabetes, and doing daily scripture study and meditation. Pretty normal and mundane stuff from the outside looking in. At first I felt like I was a prisoner stuck in a routine, and that I had to limit my own freedom to accomplish the things that I wanted. That had always been my thought of discipline growing up: you give up freedom for the discipline you are trying to get. These were my thoughts especially about my health. I would have to give up the freedom of eating whatever I wanted and force myself to eat some carrots.  

What I instead found was actually an amazing amount of freedom that I never expected. People often talk about the benefits of energy, and how great they feel from eating right and working out, but what I realized was something else. I realized that without this discipline in my life, I was a slave to my own desires and cravings.  

In scripture we find that we are at war with our own sinful desires. We are slaves to sin and to our desires until Christ sets us free from them. What discipline teaches us is to take captive our thoughts and control of our flesh and submit them to God. We become slaves to righteousness instead. As Romans 6-8 teaches us, we are no longer slaves to sin and but to righteousness, and not just slaves but, in fact, the children of God.   

When I add discipline into my life, I am actively practicing saying “no” to my own cravings and desires. I am putting to death the flesh and instead aligning myself to live in a healthy way, the way God wants. One of our values at Evergreen is health. We talk about healthy relationships and mental health, but this also goes into physical health as well. When we practice discipline in our lives with things like exercise and eating right, we are also practicing and developing our ability to say no to sin in our lives. 

If you are looking to add discipline into your life it can be overwhelming, so here is a bit of practical advice: Start with one positive change for the next 6 months. It could be flossing, getting up earlier so you can make your bed in the morning before heading out the door, or making a better choice for one meal a day. Once you get that first new practice down, then add another. Over time you will realize how much discipline you have added into your life, and the freedom that can come with it!