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Wednesday October 21, 2015

Passion

Richie Ray is a Grammy winning world famous pianist. Yet, his name will never appear on the list of greatest athletes of our time. However, he will forever be remembered as Latin music’s most influential, talented, and passionate musicians of all times. I asked him many years ago, what he thought the secret of his success was. He told me that he owed it all to his father. Richie’s father forced him to practice. This made Richie a disciplined music student and consequently he developed and perfected his skills and talents. Richie would practice playing the piano while other kids in the neighborhood were out playing sports. There were times when Richie practiced as much as 8 hours in a day. Over time what began as an obligation, became a habit, an obsession, and a passionate life style. That is the benefit of living a disciplined life.

Disciplined/Undisciplined

Discipline is developing the habit of doing what you should to as opposed to doing what you want to do. Living a disciplined life will invariably lead to progress even if what you are doing you are doing with a bad disposition. In today’s culture people tend to live undisciplined lives and therein lies the problem; they do what they want not what they should. When we live our lives in an undisciplined manner, our actions will lead to regrets and inconsistencies, we will lack passion and will always be looking for the “next thing”.

Spiritually Disciplined

 We live in a generation where many have become undisciplined flowers of Jesus. People today are more passionate about temporary things like fashion, celebrities, politicians, or exercise routines than they are about God. God on the other hand, wants to use spiritual disciplines to draw us closer to Him and to bless us beyond measure.

Please allow me to share two spiritual disciplines with you. If you consistently practice these, they have the power to transform your life:

First – Develop the discipline of praying and reading your Bible.

Second – Develop the spiritual habit of giving. Give your talents, abilities, and finances to benefit others. Shouldn’t we be doing this anyway?

1 Timothy 4:6-7 NASB

…Constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

In order to be disciplined we must begin with a decision. You must pre-decide. You must first decide on a time and the place where you are going to exercise your spiritual disciplines then you must remain consistent. You must remember that most disciplines start out as a burden. They are a burden because while we know we should be doing something it is not necessarily, what we want to do. Remember also that what begins, as an obligation over time becomes a habit, an obsession, and eventually a passionate lifestyle.

Heavenly Father I want to live A life full of passion for you and for your Kingdom. Help me to be a disciplined giver of my talents, abilities and resources in order to bless others. Thank you for letting me know that godliness is profitable for me in this present life and also for the life to come.