Discipline Leads to LIFE!

       I have a neighbor who might be the most disciplined person I have seen when it comes to exercise!  A little about this man.  I would guess he is in his mid to upper 50's.  We first took notice of him about a year ago when he would go running by our house, and what I first noticed was how incredibly slow he ran.  I am convinced that the average person could have walked faster than he was running, but nonetheless he would go running by our house everyday!  When it was snowing, when it was freezing, when it was windy, when it was raining, when it was hot and humid, he would go running!  I have seen him running in every weather condition that Minnesota can throw at a person.  He just kept running every day and you know what has happened?  He has lost a lot of weight, he has gotten much faster, and now after he finishes his run he jumps on his bike and goes on a bike ride!  This man has been given new life, he is a new person, a different person, in much better shape physically, but it came as the result of discipline.  Discipline where everyday, no matter what, he would go for a run.
       While being disciplined when it comes to exercise is important, I want to focus on Godly discipline.  Godly discipline leads to LIFE, life to the full that Jesus talks about in John 10:10.  When you make a commitment to get up early every morning to spend time in prayer and in the Word regardless of how tired you are that will lead to LIFE.  When you commit to serve and love others all the time regardless of the inconvenience it might be to you that will lead to LIFE.  When you commit to gather together with other believers in worship of God and to learn from his word regardless of how you "feel" that will lead to LIFE!  When you follow God, even when He is leading you to go somewhere unknown, scary, and foreign that will lead to LIFE.
       Having LIFE to the full doesn't just happen as we sit around doing nothing.  Having LIFE to the full happens as we put ourselves in situations where God changes people and we put ourselves in those situations and places day after day after day.  Like my neighbor my prayer is that people will look at you and I a year from now and see that we have been given new LIFE, that we are different people, that we are in a much better place in our relationship with God.  That will happen as we pursue Godly discipline no matter what.  Ask God to give you the strength to power through everything that would deter you from pursuing Him and pursuing life to the full!  Ask and it will be given to you.  Godly discipline leads to LIFE!