Discipline

 [I had a great opportunity this summer to do a study on Qualities of Spiritual Leadership with College Journey.  These are the qualities that were included in the study.  They are outlined in Oswald Sander's Spiritual Leadership]


    Discipline is essential to the development of all spiritual gifts and qualities of leadership.  This modern world has made it increasingly difficult to maintain any level of real spiritual discipline, but that should not be an excuse for laziness and lack of purpose.  Each person was created for a great purpose – to be discipled in the Lord and declare His greatness.  We can declare His greatness every day of our lives, but to become a great disciple requires great discipline.

    Discipline is the preparation the occurs for the Lord to work mightily through His people.  It is always initiated and sustained by His Spirit so don't be fooled into thinking that discipline is an independent endeavor.  The spiritual leaderJesus’ knows that the Father leads them into enduring discipline.

    Discipline preserves, practices, and produces.  It preserves oneself in purity.  It practices the spiritual gifts and disciplines.  It produces the spiritual fruits.  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

    “We have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

     “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:9-11).

    Discipline is the grace of our Heavenly Father, who longs for us to be made holy in righteousness.  He will not forsake us nor abandon us.  When discipline is difficult and painful, know that it produces the fruit of righteousness.

    True leaders are more disciplined than most.  They “work while others waste time, study while others snooze, pray while others daydream” (Sanders, Spiritual Leadership).  A life of faithful discipline readies the leader for any struggle, enables them to lead others, and most importantly places them in constant communion with the Lord.

    For all of the gifts and qualities of spiritual leadership, discipline is the harmonizing quality that enables and develops each.