One Trait at a Time: Three Powerful Pictures of Discipline

Wisdom Scripture

Romans 11:33 (NIV)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

Wisdom Quote

True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask for it (Job 28:12–28; Prov. 3:13–18; Rom. 1:22; 16:27; 1 Cor. 1:17–21; 2:6–8; James 1:5).[1]

[1] Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. 1893: 694. Print.

Three Powerful Pictures

Paul gave Timothy three powerful images to convey the importance of discipline:

“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”
—2 Timothy 2:3–6

Work hard to develop your character like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer.

What do these three have in common? Each works hard. They strive to develop the skills needed to fight, compete, and grow crops. They get up early and stay up late. Whether it is rainy or sunny, they do the required work. They drill, exercise, and pull weeds.

Embrace the Power of Work—God’s and Yours

Work out your salvation, secure in God’s love and confident in the Spirit’s power.

Pray to the Father that you would experience the Spirit’s divine power in your inner being so that Christ will be at home in your heart. Pray that you would grasp Christ’s unfathomable love and honor Him because His power is at work within you. Use Paul’s powerful prayer as your own:

What might it look like for you to work hard on your character without letting that effort become a merely human, self-help enterprise? How can you train for godliness and become more Christlike, one trait at a time?

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:14–21

And when you miss the mark again and again, God’s grace picks you up in His faithful love and sets you back on the right path.