Many things can be addressed in this section to demonstrate that one of the major causes found in the downfall of many people on the path of faith and the fulfillment of promises is none other than the lack of discipline; for it has always been a characteristic of heroes since it is a safeguard allowing the accomplishment of God’s mission on earth.

“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.” 2 Timothy 3:10-11

Aware of his impending martyrdom, Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy towards the end of his life, addressing a true spiritual testament that went beyond a simple exhortation. This letter, undoubtedly the last one the apostle sent while in prison, is a mixture of advice, warnings, exhortations, requests, and personal reminiscences.

Like an old officer leaving instructions to a younger man about to succeed him, Paul gave wonderful instructions to Timothy. He encouraged him to remain faithful (2 Timothy 1:1-13), recommended he be a good worker (2 Timothy 1:14-25).

Warning him of the difficult times he foresaw approaching; he also charged him with fulfilling his duties and the ministry that fell to him.

Deprived of all company except for that of Luke, Paul ardently wished for the return of his “beloved child”; he also asked him to bring some personal items he had left in Troas (2 Timothy 4:9-22).

Aware of the dangers threatening the church, but also of the dimension his successor must acquire and maintain, he conveyed his final teachings on sound doctrine: “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”

The apostle also took care to make Timothy aware of the wave of apostasy the future church would suffer, one of the treasures being Paul’s analysis in describing a believer as an infantry soldier or an athlete called to finish his race keeping the faith.

You are aware that the common element between a soldier and an athlete is to accomplish the mission and achieve results. It is not impossible to recognize that discipline is required in such circumstances. Many make resolutions but never achieve them due to ignorance of the importance of the principle of discipline.

Many men and women with significant prophecies have sometimes ended up never living and experiencing the realities of the promises, not because of demons and witches, but simply due to a glaring lack of discipline.

Good conduct and your way of living are guarantees of the path of life, which always imposes a true line of conduct and primarily a necessary discipline that must be maintained. Discipline is a set of physical and/or spiritual habits that enable the achievement of one or several goals.

Discipline must be a true practice for you, even a personal habit rather than a collective one. You cannot be in the same race lane, nor in the same ministry, and not even in the same field. Despite the apparent similarities that may appear in what people do, know that your personal discipline must be on a completely different line and lane.

Your neighbor’s discipline may seem good for you for a while; know that it will not always be so. The discipline of another is not a Yes and an Amen, you should not impose it as a pseudo-gospel on others; it may be applicable but not to everyone.

Personal discipline allows you to be up to the present and future tasks. The discipline you establish personally should not be influenced by that of others but rather by the voice of the Lord; for your destiny and God’s plans for you have no twins.

Being effective in your destiny involves establishing a list of priorities that allows you to reach your full potential through concrete and daily actions.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

There is an important and crucial aspect of discipline; it is the fact of regularly and constantly turning to certain practices meant to hold a portion of salvation for you. Joshua, son of Nun, shared one of the important practices of his time, which still holds its depth and strength today: constancy in meditation.

Joshua was instructed by God to meditate on the words given to Moses, not once or twice but day and night. Success in everything Joshua could undertake rested on constancy and discipline in meditating on God’s words.

“Everything that is the fruit of constancy produces success.” If you are called to be a leader and impact your generation, know that the materialization of the vision is ticked in the golden book titled: Discipline.

Discipline must be constant to activate exploits in your life; for every advancement to a higher dimension has always been the fruit of some routine of discipline; just as the fall during a dimension is due to the absence of positive habits performed regularly, so success in a dimension is achieved through the presence of positive habits performed regularly.

If physical discipline is limited to just a set of physical exercises to achieve some morphological form, note that spiritual discipline goes far beyond. Spiritual responsibilities impose profound self-denials that are made possible by the action of the Holy Spirit. Once and for all, I insist: there are no results without discipline.

The lack of personal discipline has often led people to accuse God and His servants of being responsible for the glaring failures they encounter. Yet the materialization of God’s plans on earth happens with people who decide to commit to leading a life of particular discipline.

The absence of discipline will eventually disqualify you from the blessing that God has reserved for you. Those who emerge spiritually and live a constant spiritual life know and practice the principle of discipline, for the spiritual world abhors undisciplined men. It should be recognized that in the face of indiscipline, the reactions of the invisible world are more severe than those of the visible.

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10-11

Daniel, whose name means “God is my judge,” and his three Judean compatriots were given new names: Daniel became Belteshazzar. However, striking similarities are noted between the lives of Daniel and Joseph, the son of Jacob: both prospered in a foreign land after interpreting their king’s dreams and rose to prominence due to their faithfulness to God and also because of discipline.

Due to indiscipline, a king in the Bible lost God’s presence in his reign; for every reign (every authority) is established only when discipline is imposed.

“He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.’ And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.” 1 Samuel 13:8-10

One of the episodes that marked King Saul’s life was the day the Lord turned away from him and repented of having chosen and placed him at the head of Israel. Lack of discipline had led Saul to give in to the whims of the crowd to the point of accomplishing a task that Heaven disapproved of and had never authorized. Saul had forgotten that in each position there is a discipline supposed to support it.

Results in all areas of life are no accident. Jesus Christ Himself, one hundred percent man and God, respected and followed to the letter a certain dose of discipline in prayer; which seems to have been a hidden key behind his achievements in front of the public. He who does not know how to maintain a certain discipline in secret will not be able to stand before men and remain constant in glory.

Jesus had discipline in prayer: the key to his effectiveness before men. The one who prays achieves constancy in secret for strong and striking results in public.

“When he had sent her away, he went to the mountain to pray.” Mark 6:46

Even for the choice of His disciples, in short of those around him, Jesus Christ never stopped praying.

“At that time Jesus withdrew to the mountain to pray; he spent the whole night praying to God.” Luke 6:12

Anyone who has a vision and is aware of their destiny or even their destination knows the importance of having an environment that will allow them to materialize and accomplish their mission. Don’t they say that a ripe mango among rotten mangoes will also end up rotting over time?

If the ambient, dry, cold or humid atmosphere alters the nature of fruits and vegetables; metal and any other matter on earth; so a disciplined man who wants to preserve what he has does not surround himself with just anyone and does not frequent just any place. Those who are ignorant of this principle generally lose the habit of doing well because of bad company…

This text is an extract from the book “HOW DID THE HEROES FALL?” written by Paul Zozo Minu.

We invite you to read the following article “The Flower’s Net”.

Indiscipline. Indiscipline. Indiscipline. Indiscipline. Indiscipline. Indiscipline.