Lifestyle

Self-discipline is what many of us need most and want least. If we need it so much, then why do we resist it?
The first reason is because we all have a natural inclination to be lazy. There is within us a pull towards taking the path of least resistance. If we did what we felt like doing, a lot of the time we would end up doing nothing. So then if we are to get the best things in life, we cannot give in to our own laziness. As the greatest book of wisdom ever written, the Bible says:”Lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering”. As someone said, “Temptation to laziness never grows old.”

Follow up:

In order to get the best things out of life, in order to achieve the most worthwhile things, you must stand up to the lure of laziness. Take yourself in tow. Make yourself stand up and put one foot in front of the other. One thing is certain, if you don’t take charge over your own life and manage it, no one will do it for you. A self-disciplined person is one who first conquers his own laziness.

The second reason that so many people resist self-discipline, I believe is that they do not understand what self-discipline really is.
I can remember a time in my life when I didn’t even like the word discipline. Something within me rebelled against it. When I was a student in seminary, I had a particular professor who would admonish us on the importance of self-discipline in our lives. Every time he would start into his little talk, my rebellion against the word discipline would turn him off. Then he wrote a book on the subject, and out of loyalty to him I read the book, but rebelled against every page I read.
Ten years later I picked up the same book and read it. This time, to my utter amazement, I thought it was great stuff! What was the difference? The difference was that I had finally opened my mind to the areas of my life that were undisciplined. I also realized that if I was going to achieve the beautiful dreams that God had given to me, I needed to improve in the area of discipline.