Discipline is Part of Our Relationship.

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NASB)

If you drive north along Lumina Avenue in Wrightsville Beach, you will come across Well 2. Well 2 is one of eleven wells in Wrightsville Beach drawing water from the Pee Dee Aquifer.

You will not likely stop there to take a photo if you are photographing scenic Wrightsville Beach. Should someone want to meet you for a few minutes to catch up, you probably would not choose this location. I wouldn’t expect to find Well 2 on your bucket list of places to visit.

Why then, would I stop and go to the trouble of setting up a tripod to take a photo of this utilitarian building?

I was drawn to the structure’s beauty as it sat stoically against the backdrop of fading sunlight. While many things around it heralded glitz, vacation, and fun, Well 2 whispered, “You can count on me.”

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In our Discipleship class recently, we talked about legalism and the pitfalls of falling prey to prioritizing man-made church rules and regulations over loving God and responding to His call on our life. I told the class I easily fell into legalism when I moved from a desire to do my best for the Lord (and my natural bent toward rules, regulations, and order) to serving Him via a checklist.

My well-meant discipline goes from relationship to legalism before I even know it.

You may follow that same path, finding yourself checking off prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, or attending a committee meeting because it’s on your list of things to do for God. You may even get to the point that you become disheartened and tired, even joyless, because you are worn out from the endless checklist that shows up every day.

Here’s what I learned as I prayed about my own relationship with God.

Discipline has its place in my service. I need to remember why I strive to be disciplined. Not disciplined for discipline’s sake. I want to be disciplined because it is part of my love relationship with God. His spirit is in me.

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy that God give us a spirit of discipline. Our time of prayer, meditation, and serving is not just something we do for Him, it is us living out our relationship with Him.

When you start down your mental checklist, take a moment to recognize the reason you are doing those things is because God loves you and He wants you to deepen your relationship with Him. While many things around you may scream glitz, your heart will whisper, “You can count on me.”

Today’s feature photo comes from a “photo-a-day” challenge I pursued several years ago. The photo inspires the topic. For me, the posts challenge my creativity, writing discipline, and dependence on God for His message. My prayer is that you find hope in God’s Word, and that you’ll share your hope with others.