The fruit of discipline

This week I played my guitar for worship at church and ran three miles. These might seem insignificant and unrelated to each other, but hear me out.

One of my big goals over the past six months that I've been living the cabin life in WA has been to build discipline across the board in my life. At first glance, practicing the guitar and being in shape don't seem like spiritual disciplines. But to be faithful in much you have to first prove faithful in little. I was talking to a friend a few months ago about the way that discipline in one area seeps into your habits in other areas. When I am consistently keeping up good habits in one part of my life, I am much more inclined and able to do the same in other areas. Thus the spirituality of playing the guitar and going for a run. In addition to reading the Word, fasting, memorizing Scripture, journaling, and praying, I've been practicing the guitar and exercising almost daily, working to develop discipline as an overall character trait rather than as an isolated characteristic of one part of my life.

The ability to play the guitar competently for worship and to run 3 miles are the outward symptoms of the discipline I've been pushing for these six months. I pray that the inward change is as marked.