Disciple and Self-discipline

Call To Prayer

Title: Disciple and Self-discipline

By: Njuacha Hubert

Date: 22.02.2025

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.   Luke 9:23-24

Self-discipline according to the Cambridge Dictionary is the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do even when you don’t want to do it. While people may practice self-discipline at certain times or for certain areas of their life, for a believer self-discipline is a lifestyle and should be seen in every aspect of your life.

How do you say you are a disciple of Jesus and you are a slave to food, or a slave to video games (talking of addiction), or to pornography, etc? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:12: 

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 

The key takeaway there is “not be mastered by anything”. The bible also says “Let your moderation be known unto all men, The Lord is at hand.” (Philippians 4: 5) . So in essence self-discipline is to be seen in your health, your diet, your habits, your studies, etc.

Why should we practice self-discipline? First of all, it is who we are in Christ; masters over everything but slaves to nothing. Romans 5:17 says:

¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Reign in life talks of ruler or kingship and this comes through being a master, not a slave.

Another reason we must practice self-discipline as disciples is because it leads to excellence and glory in both this life and the eternal life to come.  Just as it is said in 1 Timothy 4:8:

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Being a disciple is about self-discipline because we must deny ourselves, carry our crosses, and follow Jesus. After all, if we suffer with him we would also be glorified with him (Romans 8: 17). However, this self-discipline is practiced through grace not just by self-effort. We put the effort to pray and eat God’s word so that we access grace through faith to put the flesh under the subjection of the spirit.

It is important to mention that sometimes we will fail but the righteous fall seven times and rise again (Proverbs 24:16-18). So we must rise again and continue to live by faith, live with self-control and moderation.

Prayer Point:

Thank God for this reminder to practice self-discipline. May God help us to do the things that build our faith and grant us more access to grace.