Girls of Grace Faith, Family, Friends and Boys

What's So Good about Discipline? "Have you finished your homework?" "Did you clean your room?" "Don't forgetto practice the piano." "Yes, you have to eat all of your peas." Does any ofthis sound familiar? Well, it sure does to me, and I remember all too clearly myresponses as I huffed and puffed and rolled my eyes on my way to do whatever Iwas told. However, what I thought was a total pain at the time, I now see wasfor my own good. It was all a lesson in discipline. By discipline I don't mean punishment; I mean training or instruction.That's what my parents were trying to do with all their questions and rules:They were training me, teaching me how to live life responsibly. You see, whatwe don't understand as teenagers -- and what our parents already know -- is that muchof what we learn as young people will establish who we become as adults. Irecently read this story in a book calledSpiritual Disciplines of the ChristianLifeby Donald Whitney. He writes: Imagine six-year-old Kevin, whose parents have enrolled him in musiclessons. After school every afternoon, he sits in the living room andreluctantly strums "Home on the Range" while watching his buddies play baseballin the park across the street. That's discipline without direction. It'sdrudgery.Now suppose Kevin is visited by an angel one afternoon during guitar practice.In a vision he's taken to Carnegie Hall. He's shown a guitar virtuoso giving aconcert. Usually bored by classical music, Kevin is astonished by what he seesand hears. The musician's fingers dance excitedly on the strings with fluidityand grace. Kevin thinks of how stupid and klunky his hands feel when they haltand stumble over the chords. The virtuoso blends clean, soaring notes into amusical aroma that wafts from his guitar. Kevin remembers the toneless,irritating discord that comes stumbling out of his. But Kevin is enchanted. His head tilts slightly to one side as he listens.He drinks in everything. He never imagined that anyone could play the guitarlike this. "What do you think, Kevin?" asks the angel. The answer is a soft,six-year-old's "Wow!" The vision vanishes, and the angel is again standing infront of Kevin in his living room. "Kevin," says the angel, "the wonderfulmusician you saw is you in a few years." Then pointing at the guitar, the angeldeclares, "But you must practice!" I love that story. Now put yourself in Kevin's place. What is the firstthing you would do when the angel left? Well, you would practice, of course.Why? Because you would now have a vision of your very own. You would know whatyou were going to become; you would have a reason to be disciplined.God has a goal in mind for us that is very important to Him. His goal is that webe "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29 NASB). But there's acatch. In order for us to make God's goal our own and become like His Son, wemust know Jesus intimately. And that takes time and discipline. The primary waywe get to know Him is through His Word. Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth comeknowledge and understanding" (NIV). The Bible is God's inspired Word, and it isthe tool He has given us to get to know Him and learn from Him. Second Timothy3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God maybe thoroughly equipped for every good work" (NIV). The more time we spend in HisWord, the more we will know Him and His holy character. This is how we begin tofulfill God's goal for us to become like Jesus. If our hearts are in line withGod's, we will want to have the same goals for ourselves that He does. First TimotPoint of Grace Staff is the author of 'Girls of Grace Faith, Family, Friends and Boys' with ISBN 9781582292687 and ISBN 158229268X.