The Object of Discipline (4)

And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.1 Corinthians 9.25

Many kinds of behavior
Comparing the work of disciplining our bodies to what athletes do is most apt, as we have seen. We have to focus on the prize we are trying to achieve – increasing Christ-likeness. We must subject our bodies to the determination of our mind, heart, and will. We cannot ignore a single member of our bodies, for, as surely as we do, it will be our undoing down the homestretch. And we expect to have to work hard and long at this process, in order to make daily progress in doing the good works which demonstrate that we are true disciples of the Lord.

There is another way that the athletics metaphor is appropriate for thinking about the discipline of our bodies. That has to do with the fact that all athletic competition breaks down into repertoires of behaviors which must be mastered, little by little, for each situation the athlete or team might encounter.

For example, when I played college football, our practice sessions were consistently given over to such routine activities as working on blocking, reading defenses and offenses, running plays, and so forth. The ball carriers and pass catchers had particular skills to master, as did those who played the line or on defense. Those skills, in turn, were reinforced and improved by certain exercises with weights and daily drills.

Football is a game of roles and disciplines appropriate to each role. By breaking down the game into manageable repertoires of behavior, coaches can see precisely where players need to improve, and players can work on specific skill sets, seeking consistent improvement across the board.

Sent like Jesus
Being a follower of Christ is rather like this. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you” (Jn. 20.21). Jesus was sent to a particular time and place with a mission of bringing near the Kingdom of God. So He has sent us also. Our lives in this world are to be patterned after the example of Jesus, not only in the vision of His glory as we meditate on it day by day, but in the practical, down-to-earth details of how we live our lives – the disciplines that govern the ways we use our bodily members.

In order to follow Jesus like this, in order to discipline our bodies to do the kinds of good works He did, it will help if we can identify just a few roles and repertoires of discipleship which reflect the way Jesus lived, and which can provide us with more concrete objectives for our daily “agonizing” in the work of disciplining our bodies.

Discipleship roles and repertoires
This is actually easier than it sounds. Let me explain: We can identify five specific roles that Jesus consistently fulfilled during His earthly sojourn.

Jesus came in the role of a seeker: He sought the Lord, He sought always to do God’s will, and He sought the lost and those He called as disciples.

Second, Jesus came in the role of a servant. He reminded His disciples of this on several occasions, and modeled that role dramatically when He washed their feet.

In the third place, Jesus came as a shepherd, showing His disciples how to care for His flock so that it could be safe, well-fed, and strong.

He was obviously, as well, a sower of the Word of God wherever He went.

And, finally, Jesus was a good steward of His time, abilities, and calling from the Lord.

Fulfilling these roles entails mastering a repertoire of disciplines. We can identify five in particular: spiritual disciplines, for loving God and the health of our souls; relational disciplines, for showing love to our neighbors; vocational disciplines, to do the work appointed to us with excellence; communal disciplines, for working together with others in the Kingdom; and provisional disciplines, to aid us in times of trial and temptation. Each of these can be reduced to repeatable and improvable routines and protocols, which, taken together, help us to subdue the members of our bodies for obedience to Christ in every area of our lives.

These roles and repertoires are amenable to more precise definition and development, as we study the life of Christ and search the Scriptures for supporting or illustrative passages. By working hard at these disciplines, we can build up the necessary strength and skills – of mind, heart, conscience, and life – to enable us to fulfill our calling and do good works with our bodies.

Next steps: Can you see these discipleship roles playing out in your life? Can you identify the different areas of discipline mentioned in this article? Talk with a church leader or pastor about these questions.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, The Object of Discipline, is part 1 of a 7-part series on The Disciplined Life, and is available as a free download.

Kingdom discipline begins in Kingdom vision, and that vision is centered on Jesus Christ exalted. T. M. has prepared a series of meditations on the glorious vision of Christ, based on Scripture and insights from Celtic Christians. Order your copy of Be Thou My Vision by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.