Proverbs, chapter 25

28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control. – Proverbs 25:28

I am a big proponent of discipline. I have talked about it here a lot lately, but that is because it is a key element stressed by the book of Proverbs. In the end, we have only ourselves to blame for everything. Yes, there are temptations that each person faces, but these temptations can only be overcome with our own discipline. For example: I could be a smoker, but I use my own internal discipline to never start smoking in the first place. In this regard, it is easier to never start than to quit.

Think of how this principle works with your relationship with Christ. Once you acknowledge Christ in your life that is like planting the seed of discipline. You may not always walk the right path, but the root is there to guide you back to it. It is then up to you to nurture that seed of a relationship into something better.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you. – Proverbs 25:21-22

This is also an area which takes discipline, but is a prime example of God’s plan triumphing over our human nature. There is one man on earth that I would have a very hard time applying this Proverb to. Honestly, I would rather beat him until I got tired of beating him than apply this Proverb, but that is not the case. I pray then that God can do this work in his life from afar and overcome by human-ness. In turn, I pray this allows my own discipline to grow.