Keeping the Rules
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.
Philippians 3:10-15
So. Rules or resolutions are sorted. Written down. Hopefully you have told someone else and you are ready to go for 2024. Now for the hard part. Discipline.
I’ve always struggled with discipline. I usually know what I should do. But doing it… ugh. But discipline really is the defining factor. Planning without execution is just a good idea. Do you struggle with discipline?
The good news is, I reckon you can get more disciplined. And I reckon there are a couple of things worth considering.
Firstly, take manageable bites. One of the mistakes people make with rules/resolutions/habits is that they get a bit dreamy. They bit off more than they can chew. And then they give up.
I’m going to read my Bible for 30 minutes every day! When you haven’t read the Bible in weeks. Start with 5 minutes. A few verses a day.
Secondly, think about natural processes.
I’m going to read more books. And so you start reading when you go to bed, only to fall asleep after two minutes. Instead, read in the mornings or start listening to audiobooks while you exercise.
Ok, that will do for today. Keep going! Keep pressing on. Keep growing.
For Today:
Pray:
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.
Philippians 3:10-15
So. Rules or resolutions are sorted. Written down. Hopefully you have told someone else and you are ready to go for 2024. Now for the hard part. Discipline.
I’ve always struggled with discipline. I usually know what I should do. But doing it… ugh. But discipline really is the defining factor. Planning without execution is just a good idea. Do you struggle with discipline?
The good news is, I reckon you can get more disciplined. And I reckon there are a couple of things worth considering.
Firstly, take manageable bites. One of the mistakes people make with rules/resolutions/habits is that they get a bit dreamy. They bit off more than they can chew. And then they give up.
I’m going to read my Bible for 30 minutes every day! When you haven’t read the Bible in weeks. Start with 5 minutes. A few verses a day.
Secondly, think about natural processes.
I’m going to read more books. And so you start reading when you go to bed, only to fall asleep after two minutes. Instead, read in the mornings or start listening to audiobooks while you exercise.
Ok, that will do for today. Keep going! Keep pressing on. Keep growing.
For Today:
- Consider what manageable bites/natural processes might look like with your resolutions/rules.
- Commit to following through and being disciplined in your resolutions/rules.
- Ask God to help you be disciplined to do good things.
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He is never weak.
- Give thanks for Jesus who never failed in His discipline.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others remained disciplined in healthy practices.
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