Welcome to "Tuesday Morning," an excellent source of encouragement and inspiration for Christians everywhere.

 

A captain of an ocean liner would never leave port without a compass. And he would never hoist anchor without a destination in mind, either. Ditto for pilots of jumbo jets. Compass doesn't work? No destination? Turn off the engines. Abort the trip. Yet many people seem to be without a destination in life. They may have plans for today or tomorrow, but nothing long range. And they are still willing to start their engines or cast off—unprepared for what lies ahead.

 

Some folk don't even have a book of instructions to follow in life. They just seem to plunge through any door that opens to their touch. In many places throughout Scripture—but especially Proverbs—there are clear instructions about making a safe journey in life. In Proverbs 4 King Solomon  said, "When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, 'Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them... Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding... Esteem (wisdom), and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor.'"

 

What was Solomon talking about in this passage? In the opening of Chapter 4 he began by saying, "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction." That word in the original language is the word from which we get our word, "discipline." Solomon was laying out a set of disciplines that—if followed—would lead to spiritual success.

 

The topic of this week's "Tuesday Morning" is "Discipline." I believe it will be a "garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor." Say you can't wait? Read on, whenever you are ready, and be prepared for a set of instructions that may change your life—or at least the destination you want your life to take. 

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Traveler

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Discipline

Tom Barnard

 

arry Emerson Fosdick once said, “No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, and disciplined.”

 

Emerson underscored two truths here. First, some things can be controlled by external forces—horses, steam engines, and giant rivers, for example. Each of these has intrinsic power, but when controlled by external forces, impressive results can be achieved. Race horses can be trained to run at amazing speeds in a one-and-an-eighth-mile race. Steam engines can generate incredible thrust when built into giant locomotives. And uncontrolled rivers can be forced through huge turbines that produce mega electrical power. Left to do their own thing, each of these would be mere footnotes in the pages of history.

 

Second, Emerson said that in humans, internal controls are the only controls that last. External controls (by parents and others in authority) may be able to force certain types of behavior in children. But such behavioral modification will be short-lived. On the other hand, self-control learned through instruction and discipline will last. Emerson concluded, “No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, and disciplined.” And those results come through instruction that is internally applied.

 

Although he didn’t follow the advice he gave to others, King Solomon understood this principle of life. “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22). Solomon was saying, “Embrace these truths—they will change your life!”

 

Solomon offered practical advice on how to achieve success in spiritual matters: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:23-27).

 

All of us can become spiritually disciplined as we follow Proverbs’ four-step plan.
 

Guard your heart. Solomon called the heart “the wellspring of life” (4:23). It is the heart that controls all of the decisions we make. In Philippians 4:7 Paul said “the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We’re talking here about something that begins on the inside.

 

Govern your mouth. “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips” (Prov. 4:24). I like the rendition of this verse found in The Message: “Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.”

 

Look straight ahead.  Solomon said, “Fix your gaze directly before you.” The Message suggests the meaning here is: “Ignore all sideshow distractions.” I like this ancient saying: “Obstacles are things you see when you take your eye off your goals.” In New Testament language this principle says that we will succeed by “looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).

 

Guide your feet. In other words, watch your step. King David had it right: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way” (Ps. 37:23). In Proverbs 16:9 are these words: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” The Message says: “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.”

 

Are these disciplines painful? Of course. All meaningful accomplishments are. But as Lance Armstrong said about winning the Tour de France, “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”

 

“No life ever grows until it is focused, dedicated, and disciplined.”