God changing us through discipline

Greetings to you, dear friends! Grace and peace to you from Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ! During the past several weeks we have been talking about the importance of changes in our lives. We know that God wants to see us changed and transformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. If we are not changed, then we will not able to enjoy God and His blessings; we will not be able to walk with Him and enjoy heaven since all of these things are prepared for changed people. While on this earth change will be a part of our lives. We want to see changes in our families, jobs, finances and other areas of our lives. But none of these changes will happen unless we start changing ourselves. The inner changes usually initiate outward changes. When we start making steps towards our goals, the time will come for some changing in our lives. Until now we have discussed how God changes us through relationships. When we have relationships with someone, this person serves as an agent of change. The people we are involved with help us to see ourselves in the true light; and that helps us see what we need to change. That is why any relationships that God initiates in our lives are important and good for us. It is possible that God will put some difficult people into our lives that do not understand us. Do not avoid them; let God use them to change you. Most of the time we try to change people around us, and all the while God wants to change us through them. We have also discussed that God changes us through accountability. God desires for us to submit to one another. If we refuse to do that, then we are also refusing the intended changes we crave for. Refusing to be accountable or avoiding ‘unpleasant’ people that God has sent into our lives, we abnegate the process of changes; as a result of that everything stays the same in our lives and nothing changes. We also talked about God changing us through ministry. God calls every person on this earth to be a servant. Through ministry God destroys our selfishness, helps to develop true compassion and releases God’s power into our lives. We also established that ministry is a road to greatness. God has prepared greatness for each one of us, but we can only enter this place through constant and diligent ministry to God and men. Today I would like to start talking about God changing us through discipline. I believe that discipline is one of God’s tools that help us to change and achieve effectiveness in our personal lives and ministry. Every one of us has a dream or a goal for our lives. But however good or grand these plans or desires are, discipline is a necessary prerequisite for these things to come to pass. Many ideas and desires never come true because people lack discipline. On a regular basis we get different ideas about what we need to do or how we need to live to glorify God with our lives. Quite often we get these ideas when someone or something leaves a positive impression on us. For example, the Word of God leaves a positive impression on us when we hear or read it. Through the influence of the Word different desires and ideas are born in us: ideas about victorious, fruitful and happy life, pictures of the future etc. In the same way sermons we hear in churches leave an impression on us. That is why you can listen to the sermon and suddenly a thought or a plan strikes you and you just know what you need to do. Or, let’s say, you read a book and it gives you interesting ideas of how to go on with your life. You can also get different ideas when you listen to the story of people telling us about their lives or when you see the achievements of some people or hear about their success. All of us want to be successful, so when we see a successful person and learn the secrets of his success, it leaves a positive impression on our lives. But if we only dream or observe someone else reaching their goals, not doing anything yourself and not changing anything in your life, then it will turn out to be a waste of time and a waste of life. Tomorrow we will see what helps us to carry out our dreams and desires. I wish you abundant God’s blessings on this wonderful summer day! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye