DEAR CORPER 7: LET DISCIPLINE RULE OVER FEELING
I woke up that Sunday morning in March 2011. I did not feel like going to church. I even had good reasons. We would still have our corpers fellowship later in the evening. I thought to myself, “At least, that can serve as church for me today”.
At that time, I was already attending a Christian Leadership training in church. I sensed within me that I was making a bad decision. I got on my feet and prepared for church.
I was able to make it early to the second service. As I was walking, one of the associate pastors in church walked up to me and said, ” Pastor said you should take exhortation today exactly like you shared during the devotion in training school during the week”. Sweat ran down my back. I was in shock. How do I face the entire church?
There were days we trekked to the church when we had no transport fare. We either trekked back home too or we enjoyed financial blessings from random people who just sensed to bless us financially. We were not going to be giving excuses.
Men who allow emotions to lead them rather than being disciplined always miss out on great opportunities. Many have allowed their emotions to limit their growth. You cannot make destiny decisions emotionally. You must not be caught in that trap.
This season of your life is another opportunity to build a lifestyle of discipline. I stumbled on an interesting description of discipline some years ago – “Discipline is doing what you ought to do when you ought to do it so you can end up doing what you want to do when you want to do it”.
If you ever put pleasure before purpose, you missed the arrangement. If you place emotions before principles, you miss the order.
If you take a look at the scriptures, those who placed pleasure above purpose and emotions above principles created a great mess.
Esau placed emotions above principles of delayed gratification, he lost his birthright and when he needed it, he sought it with tears, but no one would give him again. We were warned not to be like him.
lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Hebrews 12:16–17 NKJV
David placed pleasure over purpose. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was strolling on the roof of the palace when he should have been on the battleground. He lost the battle in his own home. Lust took over. It was the beginning of terrible things in his family.
Let discipline rule over emotions. Let principles guide your life. This will save you from a lot of trouble. You will realize that it would be easy to make decisions and maximize opportunities.
Grace.
temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa