Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23, New International Version)
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Title: Discipline and Design
Reflection:
How are we designed for discipline? For sound scientific reasons, a biological/psychological answer would certainly include references to the brain. Without negating the contribution of science, as I think about discipline, I find references to the heart in the Old Testament interesting and informative. For context it is important to note that Old Testament references to the heart involved much more than the physical organ. For example, in the Jewish prayer called the Shema there is a reference to the heart (“Hear O Israel the LORD is our God the LORD is one, and as for you, you shall love the LORD your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-5). The word for heart used here is pronounced as levav or lev. The important takeaway is that this references a broad concept of thoughts, desires, will and emotions.
Often, when I think of discipline I associate it with fixing my mind on some behavior until it becomes second nature. However, the focus on the heart in our Scripture passages today expands my thinking. If our heart (the core of our being) isn’t committed to God’s desires then our discipline is misaligned. We could become disciplined in thoughts or actions that are not God honoring. Proverbs 4:23 emphasizes the importance of protecting our heart from which all our actions flow. Psalm 51:10 captures David asking God to replace his sinful or misaligned heart. David knows only God can create and make his heart new. The verse goes on to say, “renew a steadfast spirit.” In other words, a disciplined (control gained by enforcing obedience) spirit.
Conclusion:
As believers, discipline demands a heart (inner being) that is intentionally tuned to God. This requires God creating a new heart in us. Where discipline is concerned, we will sometimes fall short but knowing we serve the Creator who knows our design gives us confidence that we can get up and move forward.
Are you encouraged by God’s knowledge of our design? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Contributor: Bridget Jeffries