¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: ² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people.  Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?  ⁴ But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.  ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’   ⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.  ⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.  ⁹ ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty.  ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:1 – 9, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Discouragement

Reflection:

Sometimes, despite our disciplined best efforts the outcome appears to be disappointing.  How do we deal with the inevitable sense of discouragement?  Our Scripture passage today provides an uplifting perspective on this topic.

In the book of Haggai, the Israelites returned from exile to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.  After about a month of work it was clear that the new temple was inferior to the original temple (“Does it not seem to you like nothing?”).  This certainly was discouraging to the workers.  In response, God provides some encouraging words through the prophet Haggai, including the following:

• Be strong.
• I am with you.
• Do not fear.
• The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house.

God made these declarations consistent with His covenant with the Children of Israel, and He reminds them that He has all the resources they need.

Conclusion:

When we can’t see positive outcomes despite our disciplined efforts, it is easy to be discouraged.  However, we can rest assure that when our activities are aligned with God’s priorities a glorious outcome is guaranteed.   When you don’t see the results from your disciplined efforts, how do you counter discouragement?  I would love to hear from you.

Contributor: Norman Christie

Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  (Psalm 42:11, New International Version)

¹⁹I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.  ²⁰ I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. ²¹ Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: ²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:19 – 23, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Despondency

Reflection:

Recently, I read about a pastor who decided to battle the stigma related to mental health.  He made mental health an explicit part of his ministry and hired a part-time therapist for the church.  At first, only a few people would hesitantly approach the therapist but soon the demand for the therapist was much more than anticipated.  Ultimately, the pastor created a separate not-for-profit organization that now has three doctors, one psychiatrist, one psychologist and three social workers on staff. 

As I read the story, and reflected on some passages of Scripture, I was reminded that where our mental health is concerned, being disciplined is often not as straightforward as we would like to think.  How do we grapple with issues such as despondency?  I must first clarify that while all forms of despondency are relevant to our discussion, some forms (e.g., clinical depression) require the input of trained professionals.  I am not a trained mental health professional.  My reflections on our Scripture passages today are of necessity general in nature.  There will be specific circumstances of despondency for individuals that should wisely be addressed by those trained to provide help. 

The clarification above does not detract from the powerful messages in our Scripture passages.  In both passages we see the authors openly describing their encounters with despondency.  Their pain and despair are palpable.  I must confess that there have been times when I have responded to this kind of open display of despondency with judgement.  Thankfully, God responds with grace.  You can see that the authors rely on God’s grace.  I am captivated by their confidence in God’s compassion and faithfulness. 

Conclusion:

Our disciplined plans can be disrupted by despondency.  In the words of the boxer, Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”   Life throws punches, but God is compassionate and faithful.  As believers, how can we individually and collectively become more effective in dealing with our despondency and the despondency of others?  I would love to hear from you.

Contributor: Norman Christie

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. (Daniel 1:8, New International Version)

 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (Daniel 6:10, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Durability

Reflection:

Daniel was a prophet in exile for approximately 70 years.  Taken captive to Babylon as a young man, Daniel was thrust into a foreign culture where he was pressured to abandon his faith and adopt Babylonian customs.  Over the course of his exile, his faith did not waiver and God honored his faithfulness.  He is a prime example of someone who maintained his discipline even under tremendous pressure.

In our Scripture passages today, we see Daniel’s durable dedication to his faith in God.  The time gap between Daniel’s refusal to eat the King’s food in Daniel Chapter 1 and his refusal to stop praying in Daniel Chapter 6 is likely around 60 years.  Over this span of decades, we see clear indications of a disciplined lifestyle.  Daniel negotiated to eat only vegetables and drink water instead of enjoying the king’s cuisine as a youth.  Prayer was so much a part of his daily life that he continued praying under the threat of death and was placed in the lions’ den as a mature man.  His discipline was durable.    

Conclusion:

Daniel teaches us that discipline can be maintained even when we are pressured to conform to the world around us for many years.  No doubt, the durability of Daniel’s discipline contributed to the durability of his faith.  Do you find that pressure pushes you towards or away from discipline?  What lessons do you take from Daniel’s life?  I would love to hear from you.

Contributor: Karen Christie

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, New International Version)

 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:17, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Delay

Reflection:

Very often, being disciplined translates to delaying some perceived benefit.  For example, in the financial world, successful investors make wise trade-offs between current consumption and saving/investing for the future.  In the spiritual realm, the wisdom of delaying a benefit for the cause of Christ is frequently captured in the Bible. 

Our Scripture passages for today highlight the trade-off between instant satisfaction of a desire and delayed greater joy.  In these verses we see submission (i.e., yielding to God’s mission) and trust (i.e., the calm assurance that God has good things in store for us) leading to joy.  When our focus is on God’s mission we are motivated to be disciplined even if it means delaying certain pleasures and “enduring the cross.” 

I am conscious of the fact that sometimes delay is used as a tactic to avoid necessary action.  That is not the kind of delay we are addressing here.  We are considering the kind of delay that submits our desires to God’s plans – the kind of delay that understands that “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31, King James Version)

There is a quote from Abraham Lincoln that I believe beautifully captures this concept of discipline and delay: “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”  Do we want God most?   

Conclusion:

There are many things that our flesh tells us we must have or do immediately.  When these temporal desires are not aligned with God’s mission, discipline is required and the result can be delayed gratification.  Are there any Scripture passages that inspire you to trust God even if your choice results in hardship for a while?  I would love to hear from you.   

Contributor: Norman Christie

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:34 – 35, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Deconstruction

Reflection:

Thoughts of discipline can easily gravitate towards a list of commands.  If we are not careful, we can construct an elaborate and complex system of expectations that becomes oppressive.  Consider the religious leaders who were often in conflict with Jesus.  In some respects, they would be considered very disciplined.  They scrupulously tried to “cover all the bases.”  According to Jewish tradition, there are 613 laws in the Torah.   Unfortunately, the religious leaders often missed the spirit and intent of God’s commands. 

In our Scripture passage today, Jesus masterfully deconstructs the system of the religious leaders.  His “new command” does not miss the mark.  Instead, Jesus brings us back to what really matters, back to first principles. God is love. Jesus demonstrated how to love. We should love like Jesus. 

For me, it is so refreshing and liberating that Jesus makes things “easy.”  I am not saying that loving like Jesus is easy. However, when I compare Jesus’ approach to the approach of the legalistic religious leaders, I understand why Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “My yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Conclusion:

If our acts of discipline are devoid of love, we have missed God’s point!  Take time to consider actions or thoughts that are not rooted in loving like Jesus loves you.  Is there possibly a relationship that has been adversely affected by rules you instituted in service of discipline?  Whether you were right or wrong, can you do more to love like Jesus in order to restore or build the relationship?  I would love to hear from you.   

Contributor: Bridget Jeffries

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  (2 Corinthians 10:5, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Deliberation

Reflection:

The saying goes that the “pen is mightier than the sword,” but it has often felt to me that the “thought is more powerful than the pen.” Thoughts are the impetus for our words and actions, whether you explicitly acknowledge them or not.

As an educator who teaches an anatomy course, I impress on my students that the brain (though comprised of nervous tissue) functions like a muscle.  It has “muscle memory”!  Your thoughts actively train your brain to make new connections that solidify as you age. This concept is known as “neuroplasticity.”  Your brain literally rewires itself to become more efficient depending on what you are thinking/doing.  A mind that practices restfulness becomes more adept at resting.  A mind that regularly ruminates in anxiety is quick to become anxious in future instances.

It is imperative as believers that we are disciplined about how we are wiring our brains.  In our Scripture passage today, while addressing those who are questioning his authority to criticize the church of Corinth, Paul is referencing a similar idea of neuroplasticity – but one of the spirit (spiritual-plasticity?).  Paul asserts that there is a war being waged, one that can only be fought by training your mind.  Paul was given the gifts from Christ to prepare the church of Corinth to strengthen their hearts and minds.  He states that every thought must be willed into submission, so that it becomes second-nature to submit in obedience to Christ. 

Conclusion:

As an “anxious thinker,” I have to be very intentional about taking my thoughts captive. Some exercises I practice are short meditation, finding Scripture that directly combats “lies” that I tell myself, and using worship music to fill my thoughts when I can’t find the words to do so myself. 

What are some techniques you utilize to hold your thoughts captive?  What are some “brain-wirings” you would like to work on “re-wiring”?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Contributor: Natalie Christie-Savath

¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.  (Exodus 17:11 – 13, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Dependency

Reflection:

When we are grappling with issues related to discipline it is sometimes easy to dismiss the value of depending on each other.  However, we were created to live in community.  In Genesis 2:18, we see the creation of woman so man would not be alone.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 points out that three are stronger than one or two.  In Mark 6:7, Jesus sent the disciples out in groups of two.  In our Scripture passage today, we see the value of Aaron and Hur to Moses when he grew tired.  Even as an introvert I find it beneficial, even imperative, to partner with others in my disciplined faith walk.

I come from a large family and have a core group of girlfriends, so I have the privilege of asking 2 or 3 to pray for me, hold me accountable or offer encouragement, so I can remain disciplined in a particular area.  There are times they reach out to me to offer help or invite me to do the same for them.  I find strength in this partnering.

Conclusion:

Discipline is best pursued in community.  Who can you be an Aaron/Hur to today?  Who can be an Aaron/Hur to you?  Take time to pray for wisdom in this area and ask the Lord to show you an area of discipline you need increased accountability for or encouragement in.  How have you benefitted from partnership with other Christians?  I would love to hear from you.   

Contributor: Bridget Jeffries

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  (Ephesians 4:11 – 16, New International Version)

Theme:  The Wisdom of Discipline

Title:  Discipline and Direction

Reflection:

Following God’s direction requires discipline to improve our understanding and obedience.  Today’s Scripture passage provides insights into God’s provision of resources, his promised destination, and his direction that guides our disciplined activity in community. 

We are prone to feeling disqualified when we read verse 11.  We may tell ourselves, “I need to study more, to learn more,” or “I am too busy,” or “I am struggling in some area that disqualifies me.” Admittedly, we are not all called to one of these roles, but read on. These ‘high callings’ are God’s provision to prepare God’s people—i.e. us—for works of service; that’s right, for our own works of service.

And just look at what Paul (and of course God, this being His Word) says in verses 13-15 will be the final result: we will all reach “unity in the faith”, all “attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”, and “in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” What a glorious outcome!

How can we ever get there? Well, He tells us, as we read in verses 15 and 16. By “speaking the truth in love”, “building up the Body in love”, “as each part does its work.”

Conclusion:

We have been given God’s comprehensive provision.  We have been told His promised glorious outcome.  And…We have received His instructions, to all of us, of how to connect the two. We are each to serve, administering His truth in love, each doing his or her work.

We have received His direction. How do we respond in discipline?

Some reflective questions: How do you work at keeping the main thing the main thing?  How do you think He has gifted you to serve?  How are you doing, or how can you do your part to build up the Body in love?   I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Contributor: Lester Bayne