God has placed within each one of us the ability to develop habits that will deliver us from a long life of drudgery and self-denial. It is a bright spot – a silver lining in the cloud.(1)

Have you ever wanted to change some aspect of your behavior but found it difficult, or perhaps seemingly impossible, to do? Who hasn't? We are creatures that resist change.

Yet as Christians God has called us to change.

Romans 12:2 tells us that we are to be "transformed" by the renewing of our minds.

Ephesians 4:24 says we are to "put on the new self" which has been created in the likeness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we in Christ are new creatures and that the old things have passed away.

Other passages could also be cited on the need for change in our lives.

I doubt that a single one of us began our Christian walk by saying, "I'll never change." In fact, someone new in Christ is probably more open to change than at any time in his or her life, before or after. Yet change can seem very difficult.

What sort of help does God’s word offer us on making the changes in our lives that God wants?

The Apostle Paul wrote some important words to his young associate, Timothy, that have proven to be the key that unlocks the door of successful change to many Christians. I believe they can help you and me as well. They’re found in 1 Timothy 4:7. I’ll read them in their larger context first.

According to verse 6 Paul is telling Timothy how to be a "good servant of Christ Jesus." The young man was a preacher and as such he was a teacher and a role model. Progress in his own life was essential if others were to follow him and Paul’s words couldn’t have been more helpful.

After telling Timothy to avoid the dead end of what he called "worldly fables," speculations that might consume all his time and lead nowhere, he told him what he could do to really make a difference in his life. He wrote in the second half of verse 7, "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…."

Many people understand the meaning of the bodily discipline part of Paul’s exhortation. Take a walk some morning. You’ll find plenty of people out walking or jogging. Drive by one of the gyms or health clubs around our area in the early morning or evening. You’ll see many people working out. All of this concern for physical fitness is profitable, Paul says - but only a little when you compare it to spiritual fitness or "godliness" as he calls it. Godliness "holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come," according to the apostle.

But you cannot just go down to a gym somewhere and enroll in a spiritual fitness club, can you? It’s too bad there isn’t some kind of "God’s Gym" somewhere, like there is a "Gold’s Gym." "If I could just get spiritually fit by some kind of workout," someone says, "I might be able to do it."

Before you dismiss the idea of spiritual fitness however, realize that physical fitness and spiritual fitness are more related than you might think. Both require discipline, and if you’ll look closely again at verse seven you’ll see that Paul attaches that word to both issues. "…discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit…."

First, what is godliness? Our English word "godliness" is a compound word – that is, two words brought together into the same word. It used to be "God likeness," then as time passed and the language evolved people shortened it to "godliness."

Godliness is being like God. It is doing the right thing. But beyond that it is thinking the right thing and even being the right kind of person. It is what Peter had in mind when he wrote in 1 Peter 1:15, "Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior."

Godliness ought to be the goal of every Christian. In time we ought to become more and more like God and have less and less in us that is unlike God. Progress toward godliness is really not an option.

Secondly, what is discipline? If you were reading from the King James Version you might notice that it uses the word "exercise" instead of "discipline." If you use the New International Version, the word is translated "train." All of these words are closely related in their meaning.

Actually, the Greek word Paul used is GUMNADZO. From it we get our English word "gymnasium." The term in Bible times was related to athletics. An athlete became proficient in his sport only after consistent discipline or exercise or training. Paul’s point is that this is the way one becomes proficient in the area of godliness.

Take any athlete you want in any sport. It’s the same. When Tiger Woods wins a Masters tournament he makes it look easy to those watching. We are tempted to believe that he must have some special gift or that somehow he was born with a golf club in his hands. When Lance Armstrong (who just retired) wins the Tour de France (What is it now, seven times?) you could get the idea that he must be some kind of genetic mutant who was born sitting on a bicycle seat. These guys make it look so easy.

What we are not seeing, of course, as with any successful athletes are the hours, days, months, and years of disciplined practice. That is what gets an athlete to the top of his game. Discipline. Practice. Training. Repetition. That is the word Paul chose when he wrote to Timothy about how to become a godly person. More on this in a few moments.

Thirdly, take a look at the connecting word between the words "discipline" and "godliness." "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." Those three words in English translate only one word in the original language. It is a preposition that means "toward" or "unto" or "into." I point it out here because what Paul is saying, in essence, is that discipline is the route or highway to godliness. The more we exercise in the things of God, the more they become a fixed part of our lives.

"But that’s just my problem," I can hear someone say. "I don’t live a disciplined life. Discipline is hard!"

You’re not alone if you say that. Perhaps you can identify with the writer of the "Dear Abby" newspaper column a few years ago: "Dear Abby, I am forty-four and would like to meet a man my age with no bad habits. Signed, Rose." ---- "Dear Rose, So would I."

There are several things to note.

First, we need to understand that godliness never comes overnight. It isn’t something you suddenly attain to. And it doesn’t come by simply making a decision to be godly, no matter how sincere our resolve may be.

Sometimes we rejoice to see a person make a public acknowledgment to break with past behaviors and commit to a different life. That is called "repentance" and it is a good and necessary first step. But without applied effort after the decision, in most cases such a person will find that little change has taken place.

We live in a culture of impatience where the shortest period of time we know is the time it takes between the moment the light turns green and the guy behind us honks his horn.

We live in an age of fast food, fast airplanes, fast computers, and express lines. We love our instant dinners, fast-track seminars and the fast lane. If we have to wait very long in the grocery line we complain. I’ve even seen people leave their groceries and walk out of the store when a checker paused to get assistance from the manager.

With all of this instant gratification it is hard for us to throttle down for the things that are important to God – godliness being one of them.

A small boy was dolefully practicing his piano lesson. A salesman came to the door and called through the screen that separated him from the boy, "Son, is your mom home?" "What do you think?" he answered. If mom were not home, the last thing the boy would be doing is practicing his piano!

Just as someone new to a musical instrument must go through the awkward and unskilled stages and stay with it if he wishes to become accomplished, so it is with the person who wishes to become godly. There is always that awkward "beginner" stage. Said another way, there are not shortcuts. Godliness comes through consistent discipline and practice.

So what does this discipline involve?

The answer to that question has a hard part and an easy part. At the risk of you not hearing me out, let me give you the hard part first.

Paul said in Ephesians 4:22 that we are to "lay aside the old self." Jesus said in Luke 9:23 that if we wish to be His disciples we must "deny self and take up our cross daily."

When you deny self you say "no" to yourself. You say "no" to what it is that you want to do but you know is wrong. That’s hard!

A little girl said to her mother, "Mom, I’ve had such a happy time today." The mother wanted to know what made this day different. "Well," the little girl answered, "Yesterday my thoughts pushed me around – today I pushed them around." This little girl found that she could deny self. When we lay the demands of self aside we do the same thing.

Of course if that were all I could suggest to you, this subject would be a miserable one to talk about. If becoming godly meant only gritting one’s teeth and saying "no" for the rest of life here on earth, I would be painting a most miserable picture.

But I said that there was a hard part and an easy part and the easy part makes the hard part much more tolerable.

God has placed within each one of us the ability to develop habits that will deliver us from a long life of drudgery and self-denial. It is a bright spot – a silver lining in the cloud. It is the thing that will deliver us and make self-discipline worthwhile.

I learned to drive in my Dad’s 1954 Dodge pickup. It had three on the column along with a clutch, a foot brake, a gas pedal, a starter foot pedal, a hand emergency brake, a key ignition, and a hand choke that had to be feathered just right or the thing wouldn’t start. I only had two hands and two feet. It also had one of the largest steering wheels I have ever seen in my life. The first time I sat down in that truck with my Dad on the passenger side, I thought something like, "I’ll never learn to operate all these controls!"

It took me several weeks to learn to drive the beast, which is a testimony to my father's patience. It started with the many times I killed the engine just letting out the clutch. It went from there to crow hopping up and down the street. Eventually I actually got it going on the highway. I remember the first time I had to stop on a hill at a stop sign. Someone pulled right up behind me, tight on my bumper, not knowing that they had just fixed the fate of their radiator. I revved up the engine, eased off the brake, popped the clutch, and as the truck started rolling back, I killed the engine. Now I was inches from the guy's bumper, not feet. On the second try I laid a patch of rubber for probably a hundred feet, leaving the poor guy behind me in a burnout cloud. The only other choice was to roll back and hit his car. I've always wondered what that guy thought.

In time, though, I learned to drive that truck so well that I didn’t have to think about all the peddles and controls. I just got in and drove, not stressing about a thing. It was automatic. One foot on the brake, partially spilling over on the gas pedal and the starter. The other foot on the clutch. One hand on the wheel, the other on the key, and pinky around the hand choke. Sounds complicated but in time and with practice I did it like a pro.

The same is true with most things that seem complicated. At first they are difficult. The golfer has to remember how to grip the club, how to place his feet, how to position his arms, how to line up the face of the club, how far back to bring the club, how fast to bring it forward, how to follow through – and since I’m not a golfer I’ve probably missed some steps. But after awhile, the mechanics of the swing are taken over by that part of the brain that runs things on auto-pilot. Now the budding golfer can concentrate attention on hitting the ball and the strategy of playing the game.

"I relate to what you’re saying," someone says, "but does this apply to spiritual things?" Yes it does!

Look with me at Hebrews 5:11-14:

If you give a baby a piece of steak he’ll likely choke to death. He needs milk and time because his capacity to eat solid food is undeveloped. If he keeps on eating though, he will eventually be able to eat steak.

Likewise with spiritual things. The Hebrew writer says, "Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

That word "trained" is a form of our word GUMNADZO that Paul used in 1 Timothy 4:7.

God has designed our brains with a special capacity. If we repeat something for awhile, in time the repeated action becomes automatic, that is, it no longer takes our full effort and concentration.

Remember when you first learned to tie your shoes? It was hard. You might have even been frustrated. But now you do it with no thought.

Experts in human behavior tell us that it takes three to six weeks to incorporate a desired change of behavior so that this "automatic" potential takes over fully. If we can stick with it that long, things suddenly become much easier.

"Yes," you say, "but I just can’t seem to do it."

Oh yes you can. We all can. In fact, we already have - many times. That’s just the problem. All of us have practiced things that have to do with our spiritual lives until they have become an unconscious part of us. All of us have developed sinful habits that are nothing more than the result of practice until we trained ourselves to do what was wrong. Now those habits resist change.

But the same is true about good habits. If we practice them, in time they will become the habits in us that resist change.

In 2 Peter 2:13-14 Peter was talking about the danger of false teachers. He wasn’t very flattering in what he said of them. Listen to his words:

These are people who have used their God given habit potential for evil. Notice that they had trained their hearts in greed.

Our habit potential is completely neutral. Whatever actions we provide and repeat, it will faithfully make a part of your life if you just stay with it for awhile. It works positively or negatively, depending upon the raw material you provide.

This is why it is such a benefit to be raised in a home that is concerned about godliness.

Richard Shelly Taylor writes, "The young person who already has built-in habits of regularity and obedience certainly has a head start for effective and efficient living. The undisciplined youth, disjointed and at loose ends, may finally catch up, but it will only be by dint of much prayer and long, painful struggle."

While we’re on the subject of young people, listen to what Solomon said in Proverbs 4:26-27:

The key word here is "path." "Watch the path of your feet." According to Webster’s, a path is "a well trodden track or way."

You don’t make a path by one pass through an area. A path is worn when you make repeated passes. You literally "wear a path." Solomon is telling his son to be careful what kinds of "paths" or habits he forms. Make sure they are straight and level.

See if you recognize who is behind the following words:

My friends, we do have the capacity to change. God has put it in each one of us. The reason we fail is because we stop our effort before we can turn the burden over to our habit potential. As someone has rightly said: "Habits are first cobwebs, then cables."

We will never change if we stop in the cobweb stage. We will never fail if we endure to the cable stage.

But there is one more thing you need to know – one more bright spot.

Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who is at work in you…."

Galatians 5:22 says, "…the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, etc."

God at work in us. Fruit of the Spirit. Yet Paul told Timothy to discipline himself.

One of the great questions debated in the area of change in human behavior is, "What is God’s part and what is ours?" Some say, "God helps those who help themselves." (That usually means you have to do it all yourself.) Others say, "Let go and let God." (By that they mean that human effort us useless. God does it all.) Neither of these extremes is correct.

For instance, while "peace" is a part of the fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22, we are told four times in the New Testament to "pursue peace." It looks to me like affecting change is partly our job and partly God’s. Perhaps it’s like the farmer who plants the seed, fertilizes and waters it. He does his part. Then God causes the miracle of growth and life from the seed and provides the rain. So there is our part and God’s part. The assurance is that if we do ours, He will do His. We don’t have to do it alone.

Our determination and our habit potential work together with God’s Holy Spirit as allies in the battle for change. The Holy Spirit convicts us of wrong patterns in our lives and gives us the desire to change. We supply the raw materials (the things we decide to practice) and our God-given habit potential takes over from there.

The Public Health Authority at San Diego had a tough problem on its hands. Pelicans were starving to death on the beach by the hundreds. It seems that for years the pelicans had been the beneficiaries of the throw-away from the local fishing catch. But more recently the fishermen had stopped this practice and now the pelicans had nothing to eat. A new generation had arisen that had never known the simple act of walking into the water to catch its own fish. And nobody, it seemed, could "talk pelican" to explain how easy it was to get food. The situation was desperate.

The solution was found in bringing some unspoiled pelicans down from Alaska. Placed on the beach, they quickly showed the old crowd how to get a good dinner. It wasn’t long before every pelican was well fed.

Just as those San Diego pelicans did not realize that they had the capacity to overcome the problem of their hunger, so too we sometimes don’t realize that we have the means to overcome the sins that beset us and to live godly lives.

Previous generations have understood this issue of self discipline far better than we. We need to relearn the principle of godliness through discipline. We aren’t likely to learn it from the leaders of our present culture. Many of them are starving pelicans, too. We need to learn it from our Creator – from His book. He speaks "pelican."

1. The Biblical relationship between godliness and discipline was first pointed out to my by Jay E. Adams in a little pamphlet called "Godliness Through Discipline." Some principles in this message reflect that insight.

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

[Archive]    [Home]   [Comments]   [Search]