Stuffy and Rigid

7/31/2019 Stuffy and Rigid

1/7

Whatexactly does

self-discipline

reay mean?

To me it meansimposing a bunchof strict rules

on myself,...

...being rigid,sti, and not

having much fun,if any at a.

Theres

no spontaneity,and it doesnt

sound aealingto me.

If thats

what self-

discipline reaymeant, it wouldntbe aealing to

Me either.

A meage from Jesus


2/7

Self-discipline is a

guide, a vehicle, atl; its the wayof the wise.

Its about doing whats right withoutnding someone there to make sureyoure doing it.

and to

motivateoneself

to chsearopriate

behavior

over

inaropriatebehavior.

For you as a Christian, its also aboutbeing guided by Me and My principlesrather than suumbing to faulty logicor unhealthy and unproductive urges.

Hey. Shes

pretty but

she looks

so sad.

Wow! Get

a load of

that!

I should

go see

whats

wrong.

and give

her this

tract.


3/7

I know youve heard the story of the prodigal son Many times,

The prodigal son thoroughly enjoyed every moment he had of hisfrdom, reveling in wine, women, and song, being his own master,living on impulse.

but the dierence betwn the twobrothers gives a gd example ofself-discipline

and the trade-o you makewhen you cash it in to live forthe moment and on a whim.

or lack of it

It felt gd, itaealed to hisflesh, to hissenses, and wassatisfyingforthe moment.

Father,

can we

talk?

Are you

sure you want

to do this?

Yeah. While

Im young enough

to enjoy it.

Drinks

are on me!


4/7

And thoughwe knowthe son

returns andthe father

rejoices,

Because he chose to live for the moment, to satisfy his whims, instead of investing in thefuture where the real payos are, and he ended up paying for it for the rest of his life.

A that his father owned, a family aets and wealth,sti belonged to his brother and not to him. Why?

his inheritance.we also know thathe never regains

what he squandered

But then asthe rest of

the story

shows, inthe end he

was reducedto misery,eatinghusks andliving withswine, whileeven the

servants in

his fathers

house livedbeer thanhe did.


5/7

Or you can bring a lile discipline intoyour life now, develop the right habits anddiscipline muscles that are going to cayyou through life, and enjoy the payosfor the rest of your life.

You can live for the moment, giving youremotions and whims total frdom,

Self-discipline

doesnt mean thatyour life wi become

so constrained byrules that you fl

stifled in your abilityto be yourself.

Now, dont get Mewrong; leadinga disciplined life

doesnt mean thatyou cant have fun.

but squelchyour growth,development,

and maturity, andsacrifice the true

haine andfulfiment that

your future holds.

Who cares!

Yay!

Cool.

Ill pray

that whatever

is wrong will

work out.

would you

like to meet some

of my friends?Hey, everyone!

Id like you to

meet Fayina.

Were having

a barbeque on

the beach.

Id

love

to.


6/7

In practical terms, it means doing whatyou know is right even if you dontfellike it, and that can be tough,

and I was

wondering if

tonight you would

like to come over

and listen to some

music and partywith me

Listen,I have a lttle

trailer on the

beach

but thatdoesnt change

the fact that its

one of the wisest

investments youcould ever make

in your life.

Its work, and it does cost youto make it a habit in your life.

Hey, Kyle!

Ive been talkingto some of Your

friends.

Theyre

fantastic!


7/7

There are

benefits to aself-disciplined

life that

supersede theundisciplined life.

Remember, though,that its in makingthese toughchoices that you

are strengthened,

when you live a life of integrity and principle. But there wi be times when doing the rightthing wi sm le fun than going against your principles, and thats when you nd to have

the wisdom to make the right choice, which wi require self-discipline.

true liberty,

true self-expreion,

true frdom,

that you conditionyourself for the lifethat is ahead of you,

that you developmaturity,

and that youplease Me.

And by the way, doing whats rightdoesoften fl gd.Leading a disciplined life can be exciting, thriing, and right.

Because there is liberty

Lord, how can I

decline without

offending her?

Fayina,

About your

offer

How about

my girlfriend

and I meet you

for coffee

tomorrow

Wow!

And

thats not

all

Good move,

Kyle!

This is just

Amazing!

Look

what the Bible

says here.

and trueindividuality

Originally published September 2008; adapted. Layout and illustrations by Jeremy.

Copyright 2012 by The Family International

Thats when you discover that the sky is not the limit, but rather the starting point!

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Stuffy and Rigid