SELF-DISCIPLINE AND THE THREE L'S THAT KEEP US FROM SUCCESS

 Hey Luvs! Its Anna! Welcome back to this little journey of mine. if you're new here make sure to read my previous post first to know what's going on.

Today's topic is self-discipline... One of the most difficult traits to obtain, yet one of the most important, and effective. 

What is self-discipline? Self-discipline is the ability to control one's feelings and overcome weakness; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations. As humans, in the world we live in today, it is extremely hard to stay disciplined with the temptations of laziness, lust, and lies, what I call "the three Ls". Especially as teenagers going through changes and trying to figure out life, these three things are some of the hardest things to resist.

First, let's talk about laziness and what the Bible says about being lazy. Nowadays, it's so easy to get caught up in social media and just doom-scroll for hours upon hours. Trust me, I know, I do this more than I'd like to admit. Especially when we get caught up in watching all of those "successful" people with big houses, cool cars, and showing off while going to crazy events. You strive to live like that, but what you have to realize is those people didn't get there by scrolling and daydreaming. They had discipline. They put in the hard work, stayed consistent, and didn't give up when they got bored. Something I've realized about our generation is we have extremely short attention spans. We went from being able to watch 2-hour-long YouTube videos about some of the most boring things, to only being able to watch 5-15-second videos without getting bored. Unfortunately, that means we get bored with real-life things too, like jobs, school, and even hanging out with friends. We catch ourselves being on our phones instead of being in the moment. The only way to fix this problem is to be diligent about cutting time on social media and being more aware of what we are doing. The more you do this, the more you will find yourself doing other things besides lying in bed and being lazy. Creating good habits is the best way to get rid of laziness, but you have to be consistent in creating habits; it doesn't happen overnight. Creating a new habit can take anywhere from 14-30 days, depending on the person. Now let's talk about what the Bible says about laziness. Luke 16:10 says, "Whoever is faithful with very little things, can also be trusted with many things, but whoever is dishonest with little, cannot be trusted with many things." Now this verse isn't exactly talking about lying or anything like that. The way this verse has been explained to me is that if you can take care of, and be grateful when you have little, God will provide and trust you with much. How does this tie in with being lazy? Our bodies are a temple. When we are lazy, we are neglecting our bodies and what God intends for us, the same goes for our stuff. If we are lazy and not making sure we take care of our things by keeping things clean, making sure we are responsible for the small tasks we get from our parents, or spending money like it's infinite, God isn't going to trust us to have better/more things. So take that into consideration next time you catch yourself staring at your messy room while laying on your bed scrolling.

Let's talk about Lies. As teens, we are constantly lying, and being told lies, whether it's to and from our parents, friends, social media influences, and the government. Being honest is such a crucial part of life, and we are faced with so many opportunities every day to make the choice to lie, or just be honest. This is one of the hardest things in life because it seems so easy to just lie, and cheat our way to success. In the long run, that kind of work ethic will get you nowhere, the truth will resurface at some point. You may think "oh that wont happen to me, I'm a good liar I get away with stuff all the time." You know what, me too. Im an incredible liar, go ask my parents. Is that something I'm  proud of, yes and no... Because of this trait, I don't think there is a lot of trust with me and my parents, and that sucks, especially as I'm getting older. I have a choice though. I can either lie my way through life then fail not only myself, but God. I mean its literally a 10 commandment not to lie. The way I like to look at the 10 commandments isn't as rules, I look at it as a life manual, and by following it I show respect for my creator. I love and respect God so much that I'm going to follow this perfect manual for life so that I can not only honor Him, but so I can live a good life. Lying can also make you lazy, because you can say, and promise that you are going to do better but you never take action, so you're not just cheating out other people, but you're cheating yourself. ( I will be talking more about this topic in a separate blog post )

Last, let's talk about lust... I promise it's better to stay away from this one. In the Bible, lust is often discussed in the context of temptation and sin. It is portrayed as a powerful desire or craving, especially for something forbidden or outside the bounds of moral conduct. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus teaches that even looking at someone with lustful intent is akin to adultery in the heart. This emphasizes the importance of purity of thought and intention. The Apostle Paul also addresses lust, urging believers to flee from sexual immorality and to control their bodies in holiness and honor (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). Overall, the Bible teaches that lust, when unchecked, can lead to destructive behavior and separation from God's will, encouraging instead a life of self-control and reverence for others. As someone who has suffered the consequences of falling into this, I know that it caused pure corruption. It caused anger, dishonesty, feeling empty, pulled me away from God, created a false sense of happiness, and destroyed a relationship. I once got some wise words from someone who said, " Your body is a temple of God, and until you know who you are, and create boundaries, not only in yourself but in your faith, you are not ready to give yourself away". I love this because it reminded me that I needed to find myself and find comfort in something that was hurting my mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Therefore, I encourage you to back up, really get to know yourself, and God, and watch the desire of lust slowly go away, it really makes you feel so much better, I promise.

Okay... that's all for today. if you enjoy my Blog make sure to follow and leave a comment. If you have any feedback please feel free to DM me on Instagram, I'll leave my socials down below

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