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Samson Had It, Then Lost It (Judges 16)
Samson seemed to begin his leadership journey as a very disciplined man. He could delay some gratification (although he always struggled with a weakness for women) and kept his Nazarite vow, which involved:
- Abstaining from wine or any fermented drink, grape juice, and grapes
- Refrain from cutting his hair for the length of the vow
- Not going near a dead body, because that would make him ceremonially unclean (even if a member of his immediate family died, he was not to go near the corpse)
As he grew older, it was as though he left the foundation of self-discipline and lustfully consumed whatever he wanted: food, women, drink, and Philistines.
Discipline does not automatically make someone a leader, but no one can long remain a leader without it. More government leaders have failed from poor discipline than poor policies. More pastors have failed due to bad discipline than bad theology. More business leaders have sabotaged their careers from lack of discipline than by lack of cash flow.
How does a leader become disciplined? Scores of books try to answer that question, but let’s underscore here the spiritual dimension of discipline. Spiritual discipline begins when a leader develops personal convictions, those principles we live and die for—the values that guide our lives. Why not make a list now of those principles you most believe in? Then ask yourself: Am I disciplined in those areas? If not begin to build convictions there first!
Travel on the Inside First (Numbers 33)
Numbers 33 provides a review of the entire exodus journey—from Egypt to Jordan. And, was it ever a journey! Tons of manna. Far too much grumbling. And it lasted 40 years…
Why didn’t the Israelites get to the Promised Land more quickly? While they could have made the trip in two weeks, the people weren’t ready for God’s blessings until 40 years after they started their trip.
How about you? How’s your self-discipline? Plato said, “The first and best victory is to conquer self.” If you want to be a leader with self-discipline, follow these action points:
1. Develop and follow your priorities.
All leaders are pressed for time, but the successful ones have a plan. If you can determine what’s really a priority and release yourself from everything else, it will be much easier to follow through on what’s important. That’s the essence of self-discipline.
2. Make a disciplined lifestyle your goal.
To be successful, self-discipline can’t be a one-time event. It has to become a lifestyle. One of the best ways to nurture such a lifestyle is to develop systems and routines, especially in areas crucial to your long- term growth and success. Once you have them, put them to use every day for the rest of your life.
3. Challenge your excuses.
Challenge and eliminate any tendency you may have to make excuses. If you can name several reasons why you can’t be self-disciplined, realize that they are really just barriers to your success–all of which need to be challenged if you want to go to the next level.
4. Remove rewards until you finish the job.
If you lack self-discipline, you may be in the habit of enjoying desert before eating your vegetables. Mike Delaney pointed out that businesses need to differentiate between their shirkers and their workers, because if they reward both the same, they’ll soon find they have a lot more of the former than the latter!
5. Stay focused on results.
Anytime you concentrate on the difficulty of the work instead of its results, you’re likely to become discouraged. The next time you’re facing a must-do task and you’re thinking of doing what’s convenient instead of paying the price, change your focus. Count the benefits of doing what’s right, then dive in!
May these 5 steps serve you well on your journey to Self-Discipline as you shoot for the stars!