Discipline Cannot Change Your Heart

I know there are those of you out there that are like me—you exercise self-control, you’re good at planning things out, you do well at sticking to plans, etc. All of these are good qualities, yes? Well I’ve got news for you: those disciplines that you employ in your life are not enough; they are not the whole equation.

Discipline cannot change your heart.

Think about it. Can averting your eyes during sex scenes in movies make your heart cease to lust? Can holding your tongue when being verbally attacked make you love your accusers more? Can faking a smile when everything is falling apart make you more joyful? Probably not. Though your actions are well-meaning and can, indeed, produce some fruit by their own merit, they need to be paired with something else. That “something” is a pure and broken heart before God.

Being near to the Lord is what changes your heart. When you draw closer to the love of Christ, worldly temptation is not as strong, you have more patience and love, and joy flows out of you. You don’t have to try as hard with your mind or your flesh to make yourself do certain things. In short, a changed heart naturally produces discipline.

• Side note: As important as discipline is in the life of the Christian (and it IS important), it is not what life is made of. If discipline is the center of your faith then you are missing out on the good part—the part that experiences love, joy, peace, and life more abundant! In fact, if discipline and a works mentality are what your faith is based around, then you are probably well on your way to becoming hardened, joyless, religious, and burnt out.

Maybe this is something all of you guys have known for a while, but it was an “Aha!” kind of thing for me. Doing things a certain way can only go so far in actually changing me. I’ve had it backwards for a long time. Discipline doesn’t change my heart; my changed heart produces discipline. I’ve gotta get my heart right.