Exactly seven years today, I was in a conference where Brother Gbile Akanni said, "God is happy to make you a reference point to your colleagues, so that when they're looking for someone who is diligent, someone who has a solution and someone who is competent, they will look for you."
This got me thinking and I began to ask myself, "How can I become such a person who is difficult to ignore and who will have relevance in every weather?"
The answer I got was, "Self discipline"✍️.
So, I started searching for the meaning of self discipline.
One day, I stumbled on Brain Tracy's book he titled, "No Excuse, the Power of Self Discipline (the picture above)", and I read my most concise definition of 'Self Discipline".
He said, "Self-discipline is your ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like doing it or not".
WAW WAW WAW! This is BIG.
To be a reference point, I must be SELF disciplined. Without discipline, my life would be a mess, a messy mess for that matter.
This understanding came upon me during my time as a student when I was extremely busy with so much activities that though I was doing pretty well spiritually, I was performing below par academically.
From my 300 level till graduation, I was my Fellowship's zonal president covering nine campuses. I was also the Fellowship bus' driver from the time we got one because there was no one else to drive.
Most days, I would go back home tired very late at night.
I would run up and down during the day and sleep through the night. No time to study.
I was busy here and there. I was winning souls for God's kingdom but the souls could not see any other thing to emulate in me. I was only good for heaven but useless on earth.
When I saw what was happening, I had to put some measures in place which was that I would not sleep anytime below 12 midnight every night: the journey begins.
It was difficult at the beginning but I also learnt that any new habit can be learnt if consistently practiced for six weeks.
So, I kept at it because God is happy to make me a reference point to my colleagues. I had to do it to make God proud.
This was a turning point for me. Thank God!
As Christians, when you realize that your purpose on earth is to make your light so shine to the point that PEOPLE will see your good works and then give glory to your FATHER who is in heaven, you will understand why you must discipline yourself.
When you realize that laziness does not glorify God, you will learn to postpone a temporary pleasure in the short term for the sake of a more enduring and permanent benefit in the future.
When you realize that fornicating with someone will not praise God in your life, you will do the right thing by keeping your sexual urges under control, by closing your laps and zipping up till you marry, whether you feel like it or not.
When you realize that running after someone who is not your legally married spouse is a stain on your white garment, you will discipline yourself enough to drink ONLY from your own water pot.
God is happy to make you, as a single guy or lady, a reference point to others as an example of a self-disciplined person.
He is happy to point to your marriage for an example to young people who are trying to get married.
Self discipline will help you to be the reference point to people around you.
A self disciplined life is a self-controlled life and this is the type of life you should live because a person (boy or girl, man or woman) who does not have control over his/her life is like a city with its wall broken down. Proverbs 25:28.
Action points:
In conclusion, what areas will you like to develop more self discipline, can we start a six week self - discipline challenge?
Please 🙏 let us know in comment section. Thank you.