Tuesday 5 June 2012

Discipleship = Discipline Part 1


I have meditated over and over again on the question of discipleship and what it really means to be a follower of Christ.  It seems to me that the key to life is discipline. That restraint from excess, that desire to do right, that strength to say no, that ability to keep going, that will to trust. I don't suppose that I could cover the breadth and length of the subject in one short e mail but it is becoming all the more clear that discipleship has a lot, perhaps everything, to do with discipline. Training in godliness, which is what iSA apprenticeship is all about, is a discipling –nay-disciplining process. The word of God over and over again challenges us to be disciplined in speech, conduct and just about every field of our being.

The harsh reality, however, is that discipline/discipleship is never a piece of cake. It calls for tough decisions, sheer hard work, keen determination and at times gritting of our teeth through somewhat unpleasant experiences. It is never all sweet and happy, oftentimes it is bitter but its got to be done if we are to enjoy the fruits of it. Come to think of it: No athlete can claim any victory without discipline, no student has excelled without discipline, no army can win a battle without a disciplined force, we cannot expect any less in any field, not least in gospel ministry or even in our personal/family lives. 

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