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Self Discipline

No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:27

Mastering yourself will always be your greatest challenge. To do it you must: 1) Know yourself! Paul writes, "Like an athlete I punish my body, training it to do what it should, not what it wants to. Otherwise, after enlisting others for the race, I myself might be declared unfit and ordered to stand aside" (1 Corinthians 9:27). If Paul faced that possibility, you'd better learn to identify the landmines in your own path. 2) Eliminate excuses. Challenge every tendency within yourself to make an excuse. What was okay for others wasn't okay for Paul, because he understood his assignment. Listen: "To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best" (1 Corinthians 9:25) 3) Focus on the rewards. An old couple had been at a campground for a couple of days when a family arrived at the site next to them. As soon as their vehicle came to a stop, a couple and their three children piled out. One child hurriedly unloaded cool boxes, backpacks and other items while the other two quickly put up the tents. The site was ready in fifteen minutes. The old couple was amazed: "You folks sure do work great together," the elderly gentleman said. "You just need the right reward system," replied the dad. "Nobody gets to go to the bathroom until camp's set up!" Nothing motivates us like rewards! So next time you're tempted to do what's easy instead of what's right, change your focus; think rewards instead of distractions!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to stay focused and not get off track. Help me keep the main thing, the main thing and not major in the minors. In Jesus' Name, Amen