Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
Would you describe yourself as a disciplined person? Did you know that there is joy in being disciplined? If that seems like an oxymoron—how could discipline be joyful?—hang with me and you’ll see want I mean. First, it might be good to define exactly what I mean by being disciplined. Here’s a good definition:
“Discipline is the ability to make yourself do something you don’t want to do in order to get a result you really want to get.”
That’s what I mean by discipline. I have to impose discipline on myself because it is not natural or easy for me. But I’ve lived long enough to know that without imposing discipline in my life, I’ll never get the results I want. However, even more importantly, I’ll never do all the good works God planned for me to do without being disciplined.
Here’s a discipline that makes a difference in your day-to-day responsibilities and in your spiritual welfare as well. And that is the discipline of getting up early enough each day to start your day right, to have time to read your Bible and pray about the day ahead, to get started without stress and chaos.
You know, your day is won or lost in the morning hours. Are you able to make yourself get out of that bed so that you can get the result you want for the day? Oh, I think I can hear someone saying, “But I’m not a morning person!” Okay—maybe it’s true that you are more of a night owl but here’s the thing: Your day begins early—at least for most of us—and if you don’t take advantage of those early hours, you’re missing a great opportunity to get a real jump on your day.
So, let me encourage you to impose this discipline of getting up early enough to begin your day right. The Psalmist put it this way:
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14).
Getting up early will help you sing for joy and be glad all day. Try it!