Coach’s Corner

This morning as I was reading Proverbs, I came across this verse:

Proverbs 12:1 - To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

On Sunday, I began a series of talks regarding spiritual discipline.  The very word discipline makes most of us shudder.  It has all sorts of negative connotations.  In most of our minds, it is a very negative word.  And in fact, if you look it up online in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the first definition is “punishment”.  ‘Nuff said, right?

Wrong!  The word and concept of discipline has been hijacked and distorted from it’s highest and purest meaning.  Check out this entry from Wikipedia:

In its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. This sense also preserves the origin of the word, which is Latin disciplina “instruction”, from the root discere “to learn,” and from which discipulus “disciple, pupil” also derives.^[1]

To discipline thus means to instruct a person or animal to follow a particular code of conduct, or to adhere to a certain “order.” Consequently, “in the field of child development, discipline refers to methods of modeling character and of teaching self-control and acceptable behavior.”^[2] So for example, to discipline a child to wash its hands before meals. Here, ‘washing hands before meals’ is a particular pattern of behaviour, and the child is being disciplined to adopt that pattern. ‘To disciple’ also gives rise to the word disciplinarian, which denotes a person who enforces order. An ideal disciplinarian is one who can enforce order without coercion for “family specialists agree that using physical force, threats and put-downs can interfere with a child’s healthy development.”^[3] Usually however, the phrase ‘to discipline’ carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order - that is, ensuring instructions are carried out - is often regulated through punishment.^{cf. [4]}

To be disciplined is then, subject to context, either a virtue (the ability to follow instructions well) or a euphemism for punishment (which may also be referred to as disciplinary procedure).

DISCIPLE

That’s the first and highest meaning of the word.  A disciple is a learner (that sounds a lot like “a leader is a learner”… which means that leading and being a disciple may go hand-in-hand), and a learner is studying the “discipline” of the master/teacher.  You cannot be a disciple without discipline.  And we are called to be “disciples of Jesus Christ”.   Jesus told his disciples to go make more disciples.  All of that requires discipline.

OLYMPIC DISCIPLINE

It amazes me how much discipline it takes for the Olympians to achieve what they have achieved.  And they do it for a reward that will one day tarnish and lose its’ luster.  Why can’t we invest the same commitment to being the best disciple of Christ we can be?  We know the rewards are far greater.

I’ll continue to speak over the next few weeks on spiritual discipline.  And I’ll add some more thoughts on Bible Study tomorrow to follow up on that topic.

I’ll close this with a quote from William Penn - “No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.“