Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Becoming a good Steward: Discipline

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.


My word this year is discipline.  If you read my blog, you already know this and it’s no surprise.  What has been a surprise to me is how often this word pops up in my devotions, my readings and my life.  I know I need to learn to discipline myself.

I admit I have become lazy.  I join things and then don’t participate. I even pay money; money I really need for other things to join this group.  However, after I few months, I fall by the wayside or discontinue it. 

Today I went to a new professional development.  My thought was I will go because I want those books.  However, on my way a still small voice says, “I thought we weren’t going to do this anymore.” 

The same voice reflected on the lessons I taught today.  I need to improve; this time it is no ones’ fault but mine.  I need to do my job.  Not let my job do me.  I thought about how hard my job is, but then I realized that I need to teach and do my best for the few students who come into the classroom who want to learn. It’s the students who don’t want to learn who drain me, EVERY DAY.

In addition, I realized that I have so much education, I have a specialist degree in educational technology.  The one thing that I have learned from all my classes is to reflect, redo and learn from what I have taught.

This is all part of the discipline of teaching. 

When I got home there was a Christmas card that had been returned.  Wrong address.  This from a friend that we have regularly shared July 4th and New Year’s Eve parties.  I haven’t spoke to her for a year.  It brought back something a former friend said to me, I am lot of work and I don’t give anything.  It isn’t that I am a lot of work, I don’t have the discipline to maintain the friendship.  I want to maintain the friendship with this person’s whose address I don’t have and so I sent her an email.  I will call her tomorrow.

I went through my emails, Facebook post and all the other stuff on my computer.  I looked at some of the groups I have joined and left the group.  Two of the groups last post was in August. 

This is not just a trimming of the fat.  It is realizing that God has given me a dream and I need to follow through it IN HIS TIMING.

EPHESIANS 1:10 God has managed everything in such a way that when the right time comes everything will come together.

EPHESIANS 1:13:  . . . the good news that you were saved, and you believed in him, you, too, were sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit...

EPHESIANS 1:17 I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory to give you His Spirit to make you wise and reveal the truth as you learn to know him better.

I am completing Suzanne Eller’s 30 Days of Life Shaking Study in the Word.  I like it.  However, I am not doing 10 Bible Study’s this month.  I have scaled down to 5 and will listen as the Holy Spirit instructs me in the future.

Finally, I need to work on my craft in writing, teaching and instructional design.  I don’t need to join anything else, I need to practice, practice, practice, practice and practice some more.

Discipline, the word with the line in it.  I need to develop behavior in order to be a good steward of gifts.   I need to draw a line and keep from going over it.  I need to be a good follower.



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