I started a series of blog posts yesterday about the basic principles of Christian leadership.  In many ways, they are basic principles for the Christian life but they work their way into the lives of leaders in some unique ways.  All of the principles I’m blogging about in these posts are coming out of Chapter 4 of 1 Timothy.  We looked at verse 6 yesterday and today’s principle comes right out of verses 7-9:

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.  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.

- 1 Timothy 4: 7-9

Principle #2:  Godliness Takes Discipline

You’ve got to be careful with this one because no amount of self-discipline, no matter how great, will produce godliness in us by itself.  It must be joined with the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.  Our sanctification is a supernatural, spiritual work.  But that work comes alive in the soil of a disciplined life.

Paul was fanatical about this one.  Look at a few other things he wrote on the topic:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

- 2 Timothy 1:7

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

- 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27

Bottom line – an undisciplined life never produces godliness.

Let me leave you with just one example.  How many of us struggle to implement principle #1 (being constantly nourished by God’s Word) because we just don’t get up early enough in the morning?  The alarm clock goes off and we hit snooze 7 times.  Then we sprint through the shower and rush off to class or work.  There is no spiritual solution to that problem!  The answer is discipline.   When the alarm goes off, get up!!

What other applications can you think of for this principle?  Leave a comment and share it with the rest of us.