From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word, ‘discipline’?
Roy Smith once said that “discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.”
Most of us would have to agree that discipline is, for the most part, not pleasant.
It is doing what you really don’t want to do in order to do what you really want to do.
Athletes know this, as do the coaches who train them.
Teams with great talent can easily be defeated by average-talented teams that are disciplined.
The apostle Paul likened the success in the spiritual life to discipline and training in athletics.
Consider what he said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Bill Toomey was an American decathlete who was average in college, but who had an amazing workout ethic.
After completing the required workout with his fellow athletes on the track team, Bill would take a short rest.
While the others headed to the showers Bill would then get back up and repeat the entire grueling workout.
He didn’t win any outstanding achievements in college but did go on later to set a world record in the decathlon in 1966, followed by a gold medal in the 1968 Olympics, not to mention five national decathlon championships in a row.
One of Toomey’s college training partners summed up the secret to his success this way: “Bill was unafraid of discipline and did the maximum; I was afraid of discipline and did the minimum.”
Hmmm.
Which one are you?
