By James Dodwell - Hammers of Hope
Good Morning,
We have the privilege and pleasure to entertain our two
young cousins from out of state this week. They are a pair of young Mizzou
Tigers. Oh, and I was informed yesterday, they are also young Auburn Tigers.
It’s strange having young children in our home after many years as empty
nesters, but as always, it is a learning experience. Our “normal” routine has
been beaten to an unrecognizable pulp. Everything changed the minute I
retrieved them from the Atlanta airport last Saturday afternoon. The first
thing they wanted to know was, did I drive my truck over to pick them up,
because they like to nap in the back seat and they did. The next thing is the
change in the activity level in our home; it’s off the scale this week. This is
followed up with food and drink consumption has increased two-fold, there are
no left over’s. It has been a good change for us.
As empty nesters, we have become a little set in our ways.
The disciplines practiced in our lives with bedtimes, meal times, work times,
certain indoor and outdoor duties, ability to pick up and leave, all
experienced a paradigm shift this week. It’s been a few years since I awoke to,
“What do you have planned for us to do today?” As I stand there with a confused
look on my face, they say, “Can we drive the golf cart?”, “Can we shoot the B-B
gun at cans?”, “Can we go swimming?”, can we…, can we… and with the same
confused look on my face, I am shaking my head “No”, then I hear myself saying
“Yes, absolutely, yes”, to all the above. Why, because this change is a good
change and we welcome it.
I read once that with change the battle begins in the mind,
meaning, permanent change and improvement always happen from the inside out. In
Colossians 3:1 Paul writes, “If then you were raised with Christ; seek those
things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” In
other words, when a life change brings a new position, we need to get a new
perspective. Pretty simple to read and understand, very difficult to follow
through, you agree? We all talk about changing something in our lives. For
example, I decided it was time for me change my routine and visit the gym at
the beginning of each day. I have done really well, but there are those days
when I can excuse myself out of going. However, I am determined to make this
work, I am determined to break the old habits and replace them with better,
healthier habits. It’s a matter of change to become more self-disciplined.
Again, Paul provides us with a prescription for self-discipline.
Remember your identity. We must focus first on our position in Christ. It
all starts there. Renew your thought life. We must focus our minds on
things above. We must raise new internal standards. Recognize your old life
is dead. Change doesn’t happen if we maintain any way to return to old
patterns. Our mindset is burn the ships so there is no way to return and we
have to start a new life. Release past habits. We must put off the old,
like taking off worn out shoes. Replace them with new ones. We get rid
of old habits only when we substitute new habits for them.
In my life journey to becoming more self-disciplined it is
with the understanding that I must travel on the inside before I can travel on
the outside. Plato said, “The first and best victory is to conquer self.” We as
leaders must follow a disciplined life by first developing and following set
priorities. When we determine what’s important in our life, it will be much
easier to follow through on what’s important. We must make a discipline lifestyle
our goal. Self discipline can’t be a onetime event; it has to become a
lifestyle. We have to challenge our excuses. Excuses are just barriers to go
around, over, under and through. Eliminate them. We have to remove rewards
until we finish the job. No dessert before the meal. We have to stay focused on
the results. Count the benefits of doing what is right and then dive in.
I encourage each of us to understand the first person you
lead is you, and you can’t lead effectively without self-discipline. It will
make a difference and add value to our life and the lives of those around us. Colossians
3:1
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