One of the basics of Christianity is discipline. It is intertwined with faithfulness, and it is lived out in our lives when we reflect Christian values and ideals in living out our faith. Discipline requires action.
It takes discipline to be faithful in Bible reading, faithful in study, faithful in prayer, faithful in taking our thoughts captive, faithful in church attendance, faithful in service for others, faithful in doing unto others as we would have done to us. It takes discipline to be the person God wants us to be, and a life of discipline is a perpetual journey.
Life requires many disciplines to be lived well - - but the Christian's life extends beyond the minimums and becomes an abundant life filled to the brim with Jesus' love, which overflows to those around us.
The church I attend has a motto: Live well; die ready.
From the moment I first heard it I didn't like it as a church motto because it requires too much explanation. It doesn't define clearly within itself what 'living well' means. If someone admonishes me to "Live well" I can easily focus on healthy living habits: what I ingest; getting adequate and appropriate exercise; getting adequate sleep; being responsible by having regular medical check-ups and following Doctor's orders when something needs fixing; making wise financial choices.... The list goes on and on, as it involves exercising self-discipline in every aspect of life.
"Living well" sounds too much like the 1928 presidential campaign slogan promising the security of "a chicken in each pot and a car in every garage" - and we all know how that worked out. A mere 7 months later the great depression hit. I don't want a false image of what it means to live life well. Many of the lives lived well have meant living in poverty and self-denial. "Living well" as a goal without knowing what that really means from a truly Christian perspective can be terribly misconstrued.
If someone says to me, "Live holy; die ready." I get it right away. How I live my life here is in direct correlation to being ready to die. 'Ready to die' means assessing and being assured that I am ready to meet my Maker, ready to stand before Him, and ready to embrace the timelessness of eternity in God's presence. And I can only have that assurance through holy living - living by God's standard. And, to live by God's standard we live in His righteousness, not our own - but that takes discipline!
And so the bunny trail finds resolution:
So - what they mean when they say "Live well" is ultimately parametered by the 2nd half which states "die ready" - and that is the part that informs the way I should live. In reality, maybe it isn't so bad for a motto after all. It should make people think: "Am I ready to die?" And to assess what kind of living leads us to being able to say a resounding 'yes' to that question.
What the motto does speak to is intentionality. We cannot go on auto pilot and live life well, Christian or not. How we live has consequences - not just consequences here on earth - but eternal consequences. As Christians we have a very specific goal. We are on a journey and our destination is clear. We want to live in such a way that our Master will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of the Lord." Our goal is to be with Him forever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever.... Amen!
Discipline is a requirement of getting back to the basics. It is living out Yeshua's teachings intentionally. I want to be an intentional Christian. I want to live in such a way that others will see a reflection of God's love for them mirrored through me.
A few years ago God spoke to me and said, "I want you to contend for what I contend for." I asked Him multiple times exactly what He meant by that, and after several months he responded with a more definitive reply: "I want you to contend for Truth. I want you to contend for man's souls." That is what God cares about. He cares about Truth - and He cares about each and every soul of mankind.
He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. That is His heart's desire! No one is exempt from His invitation. Not everyone will accept - but God's wish is that they would. Some people misinterpret this to say that since it is not God's will that any perish, no one will - but that is not the truth. The truth is that the greatest sin of all is rejecting His offer of salvation - and for those who do not receive Jesus and thereby become children of God, there will be punishment of their sin, which will mean eternal separation from God and all that is good.
Those are Bible basics.
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