7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
As I read this verse my heart grabs the first two items God wants to give us, but that last one, I’m not sure about. Does the Lord really want to give me self-discipline? I definitely want the power and love. Those I can really use. Especially the power! When I am feeling timid and wanting to back away from a conflict, I could use some power. When I have an opportunity to speak the truth to someone who might not want to hear it, I know I need the love. But I am just not sure I want self-discipline. I want to live loosy goosy. I don’t want the Lord looking in on my every second. I want to be able to waste a few moments now and again. To be honest, I don’t really want a disciplined life. Now I’ve said it. It is in the open. OK, Lord, work on me. Change my heart so that I will want self-discipline. Look at that word. No one likes discipline, either the correction following misbehavior, or preparation for a future challenge. And then you had the element of self in there, this is a really tough concept. We have to take charge of our ‘self.’ We are responsible for our actions and inactions. And the Lord wants to empower us to be able to do that, but we have to resist the temptation to resist His working. What would be so bad about having self-discipline anyway? Why do I cringe when I hear that word? God want to give us power, love and self-discipline. All three are needed when we are standing up for the Truth. Let Him work in you today.
The Arnold Journey 