Self-Discipline - The Blood and Sweat of Leadership - Day 12: 100 Days of Leadership

Self-discipline is a requirement for every good leader. James R. Lowell says, 'No one can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself'. Leadership demands self-discipline.

When you have a project that is due on a pressing deadline, you may need coffee, but you definitely need self-discipline.

When you are trying to lose weight, you may want another donut, but what you really need is self-discipline.

When you’re trying to write a sermon for a congregation, it might be easier to prepare the message in the microwave, but you really know what the congregation needs is a sermon that has been bubbling away in a crockpot.

Self-discipline may feel like a word that grates against every fibre of your being. Though every leader I look up to, I see that they have learnt to conquer the battle between their own flesh and the self-discipline they need to succeed.

To overcome the fight between mediocrity and self-discipline, one needs to continually make the right choices. Will I send that email or refresh my facebook page? Will I have that difficult conversation with another work colleague or will I postpone it indefinitely? Will I go for that walk or will I grab an extra hour of sleep?

We wrestle with this every day. Good leaders conquer self-discipline. God helping us, we can be a holy, disciplined people who love God, who serve God and spend our time in ways that honour God.  

What does the Bible say?

 

Hebrews 12:11 - No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

What will I do now?

Here’s where the rubber hits the road. What do you need to do that you’ve been putting off? What practical things do you need to be more disciplined with? Will you consciously make the choice to have self-discipline?