Chapter 1
2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
Day one, and here I am writing at 8:10pm. What’s going on? Yesterday I made a list of things I needed to get done today and I’ve just finished up now, and the last thing on my list is to write the blog. Sure, it could have been the first thing, but somehow it made it to last place. My intention is to write this at the beginning of every day. Maybe what I’m lacking is discipline, which is exactly what caught my eye from the first chapter of Solomon’s proverbs.
Did you happen to notice that in verse two, the purpose of these proverbs is to “teach people wisdom and discipline, and then in verse three, the “purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives.” Me thinks that discipline is sort of on the top of the list for Solomon!
I know a bit about discipline from my former career as a police officer. The months of training was all about discipline…day in and day out! Discipline is about putting structure in the areas of your life that develop maturity and character. One area that I’ve become quite disciplined in is working out. I workout approximately six days per week. Not bad for an old fella! And you know what did it for me? On the first DVD (yes I workout at home with DVD’s) the trainer, Tony Horton, commented on the challenge of sticking with the program. He said, “Get it out of your head. Just show up and push play, and eventually you’ll get there.” That stuck for me because I knew that there would be days when the last thing I wanted to do was workout. When those days came, Tony’s words came to mind and I hauled my butt to the rec room, stuck in the DVD and pushed play. And then something happened – working out became a part of my life, and the benefits have paid off handsomely!
How’s the discipline in your own life going these days? Examine your life and if there are areas that are weak or need some growing, I would invite you to accept Solomon’s challenge to embrace wisdom and discipline. Make it a part of your life every day, and I guarantee that you’ll see the change you’re looking for. Until tomorrow…
Finding Beautiful 
Hi Scott
I have noticed lately a connection between discipline and delayed gratification in my life. By that I mean, anything in my life that doesn’t give me a payoff right now (but will later on, down the road) those investments I make require discipline. And by discipline I mean they need to be done incrementally and as part of my routines. Things like working out, as you said. Things like eating healthy food. Things like spending quiet time with myself and God. In my life I often find myself choosing the instant reward vs the long term payoff, unless I make the long term pursuit part of my routine.
Well as the retail ads and commercials always tell us, “You deserve that instant gratification.” It’s no wonder that our addiction rates are off the charts.