Discipline seems like a hard word, but discipline is your lifeline,
something that you learn to embrace and thank God for as you grow
in him. The apostle Paul links the idea of discipline with
spiritual life: "Train yourself for godliness"--referring to a
spiritual workout--for "godliness is of value in every way, as it
holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come"
(1 Timothy 4:7-8). A Christian woman's life is about bringing her
will and every area of her life under submission to God's will. 1.
Discipline of the Gospel: The Source of Godliness "Christ died for
our sins in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3).
To be a godly woman you must know what this gospel is, believe it,
and make it the center of your life. Never lose the wonder of the
gospel. John 3:16 is not only a beautiful summary of what God has
done, it ought to be the true center of our living--defining,
motivating, and satisfying us. The gospel is a woman's first and
most important discipline, for it is the source of godliness. 2.
Discipline of Submission: The Posture of Godliness It saddens me
that submission has been eliminated from our cultural vocabulary.
Bringing our lives into submission to God's will in everything is
the key to being a godly woman (Philippians 2:8-11). It is also the
path to joy. Submission applies to every area of our lives, and we
begin by restoring the gospel to its rightful place at the center
of our thoughts and deeds everyday. It's an ongoing, daily choosing
of God's ways over our own ways (James 4:7-10; Hebrews 12:9). Is
the will of God more important than our lives (Luke 9:24)? 3.
Discipline of Prayer: Submission's Lifeline Pray "at all times in
the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication" (Ephesians 6:18).
Prayer is the source of power for growth and perseverance in our
spiritual lives. It bends our wills to God's, which is what
submitting our lives is all about. Prayer cannot be reduced to a
few simple rules, and though we sometimes talk about meditation,
confession, adoration, submission, and petition, there is no
prescribed order. But continual prayer is God's will for us... we
must always be "looking up," even when driving to work or cleaning
the house. 4. Discipline of Worship: Submission's Celebration
Worship encompasses all of life: "Present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship" (Romans 12:1). Because Christ is the ultimate revelation
of God (Colossians 1:15-20), he must be the central focus of our
worship as understood through Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13). Worship
--whether by oneself at home, in the workplace, classroom, or with
the church gathered--is consecration. Every woman who calls herself
a Christian must understand that worship is the ultimate priority
of her life... every day. 5. Discipline of Mind: Submission's
Education No computer will ever be able to think God's thoughts or
know the heart of God or do his works. But it's what the brain was
created for--to have the mind of Christ. What a scandal that so
many Christians don't think Christianly! In one comprehensive
sentence, Paul prescribes his personal mental program: "Whatever is
true... honorable... just... pure... lovely... commendable, if
there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). If you are filled with
God's Word, your life can then be informed and directed by
God--your relationships at home, parenting, career, ethical
decisions, and internal moral life. 6. Discipline of Contentment:
Submission's Rest Paul wrote from prison that he had "learned in
whatever situation I am to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
Fortunately for us, he said that he had "learned"... there is hope
for all of us who face the monster of discontent! Applying our
knowledge of God to our circumstances is the key to contentment. It
will be ours when all that God is and all that he has done in
Christ fills our heart. We may lack many things in this world, but
as godly women we must work to develop the discipline of
contentment. 7. Discipline of Propriety: Submission's Behavior
Propriety means behaving in ways appropriate for
Christians--actions that don't bring shame to the Gospel and to
Christ. Propriety elevates our words, our appearance, and our
attitudes. It's a perfect word for describing what Paul means when
he tells believers to act "in a manner of life...worthy of the
gospel" (Philippians 1:27). Propriety means acting in a way worthy
of the Gospel in dress (1 Peter 3:3-4), speech, and attitude
(Colossians 3:12-14). If your behavior is worthy of the Gospel, the
source of that behavior will be a heart authentically bowed in
humble submission to Jesus as Lord. 8. Discipline of Perseverance:
Submission's Challenge Faith in the goodness of God in the face of
extreme adversity grows out of a discipline of perseverance in the
day-in, day-out grind of everyday life. "Let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). We all can develop
perseverance by daily submitting to God's will and looking to Jesus
in whatever irritating, insignificant duties or grand-scale
tragedies we may suffer (Romans 8:18; Hebrews 12:3). It involves
submitting to God in our trials while trusting him to be good,
wise, merciful, just, kind, lovingly all-knowing, and all-powerful.
9. Discipline of Singleness or Marriage: Submission's Framework
Singleness is a positive assignment (1 Corinthians 7:7) to be
joyously received knowing that God doesn't plan to give anyone less
than the best. If marriage is our "assignment," then we must
discipline ourselves to submit to God's will--to live as our
husbands' helpers (Genesis 2:18), submitting to and respecting
their position (Ephesians 5:22-24), and developing a gentle and
quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:1). As single or married daughters of
Eve--the "mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20)--we must cultivate
nurturing spirits. How we care for others will be dictated by where
God places us--in a home, in a hospital, in the inner city,
wherever. 10. Discipline of Good Deeds: Submission's Industry As
believers we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
Good deeds are the redeemed heart's response of gratitude for the
gift of God's grace (1 Peter 2:12). We gospel women must determine
to develop the discipline of good deeds: "as we have opportunity,
let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the
household of faith" (Galatians 6:10). Let us fill our days with
good deeds. As you cultivate the disciplines of godly womanhood,
consider Paul's words: "I worked harder than any of them, though it
was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" (1 Corinthians
15:10). There is no contradiction between grace and hard work. As
we attempt to do God's will, he always gives more grace!
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