Dave’s Monday Blast – May 15, 2017
Over the last two weeks we have been unpacking a study by R. Kent Hughes entitled the 10 Disciplines of a Godly Man. Hughes reminds us that men will never get anywhere in life without discipline, and doubly so in spiritual matters. Men of Intention MUST BE committed to “training themselves for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7-8). This takes a great deal of discipline!
So far we have we have considered the following:
- The Discipline of Purity
- The Discipline of Relationships
- The Discipline of the Mind
- The Discipline of Devotion
New for today:
- The Discipline of Integrity: We can hardly overstate the importance of integrity to a generation of believers so much like the world in ethical conduct. But integrity’s benefits…character, a clear conscience, deep intimacy with God…argue its importance.
We must let God’s Word draw our lines of conduct. (Did you catch that?) Our speech and actions must be INTENTIONALLY true (Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:15), backed by the courage to keep our word and stand up for our convictions (Psalm 15:4). An old saying sums it up: “Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”
- The Discipline of the Tongue: “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue!
Offered to God on the altar, the tongue has awesome power for good. There must be an ongoing prayerfulness and resolve to discipline ourselves in this area: “Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul.” Does anyone else have a challenge in this area?
Next week we will unpack the Disciplines of Work and Perseverance.
