Discipline

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, it’s the 28th of June, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in 1 Corinthians 9:27. The Apostle Paul says: 

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Oh folks, you and I really need to walk the talk, don’t we? People need to see Jesus in us. There is no use in “dropping the ball” every time. I am thinking about ordinary common things like your language. As a follower of Christ, you may not swear anymore. You know I had a terrible vocabulary because when I got uptight as a farmer, I would curse and I would blaspheme, but the amazing thing is, the day that I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I have never sworn since that day. That’s a miracle. I have shouted a lot, but I have never, ever blasphemed. We need to conduct our behaviour which is befitting for a Christian. 

We cannot just do our own thing and say “Well, that’s the way I am.” No, we have got to change because people are watching every single move we make. Paul says that is why he disciplines his body and brings it into subjection. You can’t stand up in church with your hands in the air and praise God, and then go out and get blind drunk on Friday night and say, “Well, I am under pressure. I just wanted to get a bit of a release.” You can’t do that. That’s what keeps people out of the church. That is what keeps people from following Jesus. 

I used to say the same thing in the old days before I met the Lord. I would see some men who would tell me they are Christians, but then their lifestyle was pathetic. They couldn’t feed their children, they didn’t love their wives, and yet they were telling me to get my life in order, and I used to say to Jill, “If that man is a Christian, I will get to Heaven before he will.” But you see, I made a big mistake. Who said he was a Christian? He said he was, but on the day of judgement each one of us will have to give an account of our conduct. Let us start to discipline our bodies, our minds and our hearts, so that people will come to us and say, “I want what you’ve got.” And we will say, “What have we got?”  “I see peace, I see love, I see acceptance, I see patience, I see Jesus in you.”  Let's do it today.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.