A psychologist and philosopher said that the different between failure and successful people is that successful people do things which a failure don't like doing not because they like doing it themselves but because success demands they do things that is disciplines.
Discipline can be defined as training one's mind and characters to produce self control and habit of disobedience following set rules for conduct.
Everything you know and do must be regulated by self control, which is simply discipline. It is paying the price demanded by your destiny. It is inevitably makes you perform unpleasant task but as Paul said "for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worked for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory "(2cor 4 :17).
You cannot lead anyone or do exploit in something enduring if you are not an absolute master over yourself . Lack of self control is the most common killer of colourful destiny. It stops you from making exploit as you were created to do.
Apostle Paul wrote most of the epistles in prison. He never saw himself as a prisoner of man but as God's prisoner sent there to master his thoughts and do God's work. It is likely that if he was not in prison he would be preaching and teaching and would not have spared the time to write the epistles.
Martin Luther completed
his German ( first ever )translation of the Bible in protective custody imposed on him by highly placed friends. This was done to him to be focused and do the job.
Students are sent to dormitory to discipline them to be focused and study their books. A disciplined mind is an orderly and peaceful mind.
Discipline makes for stability and progress. It is the first law in heaven. It makes for respect and honour, you must be disciplines to be obedient and respectful. The one who discipline a man is the Holy Spirit :, that's why discipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Certain things that one wouldn't like to do, he is compelled to do them by spiritual force of discipline.
Every great exploit in modern and ancient times had been achieved under the weight of discipline. Great work and achievements bother on discipline : Every military formations is established, exist and triumph on discipline. In military, discipline is synonymous with effectiveness and efficiency. Great war generals tends to prefer great discipline, which in military parlance means following orders, to great thinking.
There are several types of tests of discipline in which the level of discipline of an individual is ascertained.
POWER AS A TEST OF DISCIPLINE :
Power has been defined as the ability to give command to people and obtain compliance. That means that orders are given command or order and he obeys it , he is disciplined. For you to test one and find out whether he is disciplined or not, give him commands or orders. In military, following orders often makes the different between life and death of an individual soldier or even of the entire formation. Discipline harness the mental and physical energies of the fighting force towards given goals or identified objectives.
AUTHORITY AS A TEST OF DISCIPLINE :
Authority has also been defined as the relationship that exists between persons or offices where one has the responsibility to issue orders to another who sees it as a duty to obey. A mind that is not disciplined can never see it as a duty to obey. Only a disciplined mind sees it as a duty to obey. (Romans 13 :1)
OBEDIENCE AS A TEST OF DISCIPLINE :
To obey means to conform to set rules for conduct. You see why a law-breaker is not disciplined. A highly obedient mind is a highly disciplined mind. To test one's level of discipline, look at his depth of obedience.
WORK AS A TEST OF DISCIPLINE:
There is dignity in labour. For one to work from a particular hour in the morning till a particular hour in the evening, he is disciplined. No work, no discipline.
Main types of discipline are :
Emotional discipline : this has to do with the harnessing of the power of feeling in such a manner as to give effect or reinforce the achievement of preferred objectives. The emotion is a very key player in the achievement equation, when the emotion is not disciplined, mood swings and often times, they swing low.
Discouragement leads to depression and depression leads to oppression :when one is emotionally disciplined, the vices of low moral ( demoralization ) dejection, frustration, discouragement, defeat and confusion cannot gain ground in his life.
Mental discipline : this involves bringing all one's mental powers to bear on the task of life without admitting distractions or relapsing into confusion. It does not imply that there are no distractions or irritations. It means that these interference are not allowed to scuttle the focus.
Physical discipline :This simply involves disciplining the physical body. One has to be disciplined In food in -take. More so, regular exercise is required to keep the body physically fit. Physical training for diverse kinds of physical endeavors takes discipline, to be enculated . For your body to be organized and be able to carry you to the mountains top that you are working towards, you need to be physically disciplined. You also discipline your body so that it work in paripassu with the directives of the mind and spirit.
Moral discipline : moral discipline is what is generally called character. It has deep connection with the emotion. It determines what one value and feel like doing. Author Walter, L.wilson said "God is not interested in making us what he wants us to be than giving us what we ought to have.
I have always told my audience that it is what you are that gives you what you want and not what you have that makes you who you are. The Bible says. " He opened also the ears to discipline, and commanded that they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasure, " job 36:10-11