It is official: we are in the start of a new series! After doing the word study on “authentic”, I realized how much I enjoy word studies, and there are so many other ones that I would love to do. This next word is one that I actually studied out last year, but felt the need to revisit it. I feel like discipline is something this generation lacks, and so I thought it would be amazing to study out all aspects of discipline and figure out how it fits into our spiritual lives.
The word “discipline” means to train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way. It can be confused with the word “self-control”, but the difference is that discipline is doing something you don’t want to do, while self-control is stopping yourself from doing something that you want to do. This means that one can have self-control without being disciplined.
Hebrew + Greek
I will admit, I went down a rabbit hole studying Hebrew and Greek for the word “discipline”. I was very intrigued to see how the words translated, and I wanted to see what those words meant.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word most often translated to discipline is “mûsār”, which means discipline, correction, and instruction. This word is often used to describe the discipline of the Lord, whether it be gentle or as a result of sin. Sometimes, it describes the loving and gentle discipline of a father to help us grow, and sometimes it describes the harsh (but still loving) reproof of a God that is reacting to the sins of his people. This word is often used in the book of Proverbs, where the author is writing about discipline to his son.
In the New Testament, the Greek word often used is “paideuō”, which means to train (usually children) and to chastise. It is used to show someone younger or less experienced training being taught by someone with more experience or is at a higher level. It can also be used for a harsher discipline, which exists by punishment.
Disciplined punishment is different from physical harm or abuse, though, and the Bible makes that clear. The word for “strike” or “sting” is different (paiō). This word is used when Jesus was being beaten and spit on before his crucifixion in Matthew 26:68.
This makes the distinction between discipline and ill-intended harm. The Bible says this about discipline; “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 12:11). Even though nobody enjoys discipline in the moment, it is done with the purpose of sanctification, and growing us to be more like Christ.
Types of disciplines
The idea of physically discipling yourself is the context that I see this word in most often. Discipline is what helps you grow in the gym, in a sport, and in nutrition. However, spiritual discipline also exists, and I would argue that it is more important, because our faith should come before everything else. Any time you read about discipline in the Bible, you can put it into different types of disciplines, and it fits. For example, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 speaks in the context of physical discipline, but can easily transfer to understanding other types.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
I know that this verse is quoted often by athletes, because of the physical disciplines that this passage talks about. I can confirm that, in my own experience, discipline is what makes you faster, stronger, and tougher in a sport. Those that are disciplined and put away complaints or excuses are the ones that rise above the rest, and experience more growth than those that practice half-heartedly.
This is very similar in terms of faith. The easy thing to do is to give God your free time, but that isn’t discipline. Spiritual discipline is creating time to spend with God, even when your schedule is completely packed. This includes reading your Bible before school, even if it means you don’t have time to do your hair or finish studying for that big test. It also includes praying before going to bed instead of being on your phone, because you long to start and end your day talking to the One who made you and loves you. When we discipline ourselves with the intent of obeying God and drawing closer to him, we will notice how we seem to become more and more removed from the world.
I have also come to learn that discipline is connected to temptation, because we are often presented with two choices in everyday situations. The first choice is to listen to temptation, while the other one is to listen to the disciplines that you have taught yourself. While temptation is giving into sin, discipline is teaching ourselves how to pull away from sin and lean towards what is right.
The purpose for discipline
The purpose for discipline, specifically spiritual discipline, is to teach obedience. It is the act of learning how to do what we know has to be done, even if it doesn’t sound appealing to us. “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 12:11). If you examine all the times in Scripture where God disciplines his people, it is done with the ultimate goal of sanctification. “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.” (Psalm 94:12). It helps us bear Godly fruit, and teaches us what is right.
If you think about it, we discipline ourselves with the goal of becoming a disciple. Discipline means instruction, or correction, while a disciple is a follower of a teacher or leader, who instructs, or disciplines, the disciples. The word “disciple” is actually a root word for “discipline”. This means that you cannot be a disciple if you do not practice discipline.
In addition, one of the purposes of the Bible is to lead us in this discipline. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is quoted often to show why we have the Bible; “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Notice how the words “teaching”, “reproof”, and “correction” are all synonyms for discipline.
I feel that this verse most accurately conveys the purpose for discipline, and the reason why it is such a big deal. It displays our longing for obedience to God, and when the Lord disciplines us, it is because he loves us and longs for us to become more like Jesus.
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