Self-discipline is a hard skill. Let’s study discipline in the Bible and discuss how self-discipline is powerful in Christian Motherhood.
The definition of self-discipline: the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weakness or the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.
Self-discipline is a hard skill to have. It takes intentionality. Self-control is knowing your weaknesses or knowing what is not right in God’s eyes and turning from it. That means we need to know how to live a Godly life and be strong enough to say no. The act of self-discipline and control is difficult, but the reward is worth it. We will see fruit from our righteous actions, even if it is not instant. I want to walk you through a few bible verses about self-discipline and discuss why self-discipline is a powerful skill to have in Christian motherhood. I will also give you some practical tips and action steps on how to practice self-control.
Self-Control is a Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
The fruits of the spirit are attributes of living a Godly life. We receive these attributes from the power of the Holy Spirit when we accept God to be the God of our life. Paul also labels the attributes of the ungodly life, and those are the “acts of the flesh”. These are, sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
These acts of the flesh are coming from a sinful place. They show up when we have a lack of self-control. They are the outward expressions of not being diligent or intentional. As Christians, we are not perfect. We have a sinful nature and we do sin. That sin may fall into one of the acts of the flesh, but we need to repent and remind ourselves of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we receive Christ, we are gifted the Holy Spirit to walk with us and guide us through life. Paul ends the 9 attributes of a Godly life with self-control.
Self-Control and Discipline in the Word of God
We Are Called To Be Self-Controlled, Saying No To Ungodly Things
Titus 2:11-12, For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
This verse is so powerful. As Christians, it is our job to say no to the ungodly things in this world. It is our job to know what is appropriate and what is not. We learn how God wants us to live by studying scripture and communicating with God. It is so easy to fall into the passions of this world. Self-control is difficult to have because every human has impulses and things that tug them in the wrong direction. It is a constant battle throughout life. No one is perfect, but if Christians sit with Jesus and learn about Him, it becomes easier to say no to ungodly things because we know what is promised if we follow Him.
Also, the good news is, Jesus shows grace to us. If we do fall into a passion of this world, or we do something ungodly (lust, hate, gamble, etc.) He will forgive us if we repent and turn to Him.
Self-Control Keeps Us Protected
Proverbs 25:28, A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
This is a simple analogy. Let’s picture this for a second. Picture walls around you. If they are strong and held up, you are protected. Those walls are self-discipline and self-control. These examples look like, accomplishing your work, building your relationship with God, having a moral campus, having a solid community, being good stewards of what God has given us, loving people, trying to live out the attributes of the Fruits of the Spirit, and following God’s laws. Because you have a solid foundation around you, you are able to make wise choices and think diligently before making a decision. You are self-disciplined and have the fruit of self-control.
If you have walls broken all around you, there is no self-control. No healthy foundation. When you have to make a decision, you are quick about it and do not think about the repercussions of that action on you or the people around you. If you make a poor decision, you do not have that foundation to protect you. A person who lacks self-control is vulnerable to attack. Because they have no self-control, they are likely to really damage themselves, and the people around them. They have no walls built to keep them on the right path. This makes it more likely to fall into bad habits. These are the ones who live ungodly or fall away from God.
Self-Discipline Will Leave You Fully Satisfied
Proverbs 13:4 a slugger’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Self-control may seem restrictive. It may feel like we have no freedom. However, we are free in Christ. When we live according to God’s will, we are filled with his blessings and we are promised heaven. The right choices in life may feel restrictive, but it has a positive lasting effect. Negative choices may feel good at the moment, but that feeling will not last. The world is full of instant gratification, without looking at the end result. The wrong choice will give you a sense of fulfillment for a short while. God gives you true fulfillment when you follow His ways and you will be fully satisfied.
Conclusion on Self-Control in the Bible
We only went over three of the verses in the bible about self-control. There are many more. These three verses point out that self-control is one of the fruits of the spirit. We need to be intentional about it and practice it daily. By practicing it, we are protecting ourselves from falling away from God. It may not be easy to do, but it will be worth it.
Self-Discipline Will Yield a Good Harvest
When we are intentional with our actions, we will reap benefits later on. Most likely, the correct response or action is more unpleasant than the poor choice. It may be painful to pick the righteous choice.
If we are careless with our actions, pick the easy way, and are not diligent, we will suffer from it. A lack of self-discipline will hurt us and our families. In Christian Motherhood specifically, our self-discipline is powerful. It affects our family around us. I want to go over a few practical examples of what can happen if we are not intentional with our actions. I also want to go over what we produce when we are self-controlled and intentional with our choices.
Practical, Everyday Disciplines
For example, if we choose not to do the laundry for the week, it is easier because we do not have to do that chore. However, a week goes by and your kids are saying they have no clothes, you’re out of towels and no one has socks. You now have to do all the laundry that piled up. Now the lack of discipline has left you to deal with the consequences of not doing the laundry. Instead, be disciplined to do one load a day. That will produce a smooth morning while the kids get ready with clean clothes.
Spiritual Discipline
We will reap a harvest if we are intentional about our spiritual life. If we are diligent and we choose to first spend time with God instead of going to watch TV at night, we will produce an intimate relationship with the Lord. We will receive His peace. The relationship with our father will grow instead of becoming stagnant. This, in return, will produce a harvest of fruit. We will be representing the fruits of the spirit better to everyone around us because we are close to God. We will grow as an individual if we spend time with the Lord and we will be more at peace.
However, if we choose to go lay down and watch tv every night and skip our time with the Lord, we will slowly start to feel disconnected. Our desires will slowly shift to those of the world. We will start to be quicker to anger, harder to love, and less peaceful. This could have a huge impact on your motherhood and family. We need to be self-disciplined and controlled for our kids. As mothers, we want them to feel God’s love through us and we want God’s help raising them. We need to be in community with God.
Those who are self-disciplined and self-controlled will be satisfied. They will produce a harvest of righteousness that will last.
Apostle Paul’s Explanation of Self-Discipline
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I love how the apostle Paul used this analogy of running a race and self-discipline because it is simple to understand. We, as Christians, are not running a pointless race. We are running a race to get the prize-the prize of heaven. Of eternal life with God.
In order to get the prize, we must not run aimlessly, but with purpose, self-discipline, and intention. Christians must practice spiritual discipline. We must be studying God’s Word, living in Christian Community, and living in prayer. Christians must follow God’s law. The race is not easy. It takes a lot of effort, hard work and preparation. We will struggle but we have God on our side to help us. God’s grace is sufficient. We must say no to things that bring us away from Christ. We must stand up for what we believe in and go against the grain of this world. It is hard! It is easier to fall into what this world is promising. However, God’s promise is better. The end goal is heaven. Run the race to get the prize, the prize of eternity with our heavenly Father.
Why is Self-Discipline so Powerful in Christian Motherhood?
Self-discipline is powerful in Christian Motherhood because it gives our children stability. When we are disciplined in taking care of our home, it provides a safe, clean environment for our children. If we are diligent with how we spend our time (not being lazy, taking care of our bodies), our children will benefit. Being intentional with our time with God will feed your soul, and you’ll be able to pour into your children more. If we make quality time a priority in our marriage, they will notice. Even our young children will notice. When we bathe and clothe our children, they know we love them and they feel taken care of. As a result of being intentional with our actions, our children feel stable, safe, and loved.
Living a self-disciplined life also helps our children because we are setting a good example for them. We can tell them how to live according to God’s plan, but they watch us and learn from our behaviors. We are called to raise Godly children. If we want them to be self-disciplined, we must also. They will see you choosing to go for a walk, rather than sit on the couch. They will see you put your phone down and read the bible. We need to set a good example for our children so they know how to live a self-disciplined life.
How to Practically Live a Self-Controlled Life
I hope these few tips will give you practical help when you need to practice self-discipline.
Slow Down:
Be diligent in your actions and choices- In a world where we need everything fast and quick, we need to remember to slow down. Think of the outcome of our choices before choosing one. Which one will produce a good harvest? Which one seems like the easy choice at the moment but will tear you down later?
Set Yourself Up For Success:
This starts by knowing your weaknesses. If the weakness is overindulging in sweets, do not buy them at the store. That way you will not be tempted at home. If you struggle with prayer, set a time daily to pray. You must know your weakness but then make a plan for it. Then the self-discipline is just following that action step you put in place. This is where asking for support from a loved one helps! If your husband knows that you are going to pray every night before you go to bed, have him remind you.
Ask God To Be Apart Of It
The good news is, we have God on our side! If you struggle with self-discipline, discuss that with God. Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. God wants to be a part of our lives. He will gladly be by your side to guide you into what is Godly. It is our job to listen to the Holy Spirit when He talks.
Set An Intentional Routine
It is so important to have healthy daily habits as a part of your life. Once you are set in your routines, it is harder to fall away from them! Read more on how to set an intentional routine in our daily lives here.
Meditate and Memorize Scripture
This is one I want to get better at. When we meditate and memorize scripture, we can hear the Holy Spirit in the moment. When we have a decision to make, the Holy Spirit will speak to us through scripture. If we do not know it, it is much harder to understand or hear the Holy Spirit talking. It also allows us to know what we need to say no to in order to live a self-disciplined life.
Self-Discipline is Powerful in Christian Motherhood
We are given the gift of salvation. God gives us grace because we live in the fallen world. As we practice self-discipline, we will see positive changes in our lives. We will better serve our families and God. We will see great things come from the practice of self-control. Our own hearts will be changed as a result of growing closer to God. Self-discipline will have a great effect on your Christian motherhood, it is so powerful. My prayer for you is that you will become a more disciplined person as you continue your season of Christian parenting. I pray that you will see fruit from your labor of self-discipline and that it grows your spiritual life. Take it one step at a time and ask for God’s grace when you mess up. Ask Him for His strength when you need to say no to ungodliness. I know it is hard, but the prize is well worth it.
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