In this age of self-care, self-discipline seems to be a dirty word. But good intentions and warm, fuzzy feelings toward God won’t make us fruitful Christians. To be a fruitful Christian, we must submit to the Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do—from how we spend our money to how we spend our time. In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef explores self-discipline and Christlikeness.
If you would like more insight into today’s devotional topic, watch or listen to Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon From Valley to Victory, Part 16: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOW
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[00:00:00] You are listening to My Devotional, the Daily Devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading
[00:00:06] The Way.
[00:00:08] A Disciplined Life by Dr. Michael Youssef
[00:00:13] In this age of self-care, self-discipline seems to be a dirty word.
[00:00:18] But good intentions and warm, fuzzy feelings toward God won't turn us into fruitful Christians.
[00:00:24] To be a fruitful Christian, we must submit to the Lord Jesus Christ in everything we
[00:00:29] do, from the way we spend our money to the way we spend our time.
[00:00:33] Self-discipline is forgoing that which is easy but wrong, for that which is difficult but
[00:00:40] right.
[00:00:41] For Bible-believing Christians this means submitting everything in our lives to the
[00:00:45] authority of the Word of God, and in doing so we make Him the true Lord of our lives.
[00:00:51] In Romans 12 verses 9 through 21, Paul shows us eight characteristics of Christ-like love
[00:00:59] that are the fruit of a disciplined life.
[00:01:04] 1.
[00:01:05] Love hates evil.
[00:01:08] 2.
[00:01:08] Love gives honor.
[00:01:11] 3.
[00:01:12] Love is passionate about God.
[00:01:15] 4.
[00:01:16] Love hopes and perseveres in prayer.
[00:01:19] 5.
[00:01:19] Love gives.
[00:01:21] 6.
[00:01:22] Love fills deeply with others.
[00:01:25] 7.
[00:01:26] Love refuses to get even.
[00:01:28] 8.
[00:01:29] Love reverses cultural norms.
[00:01:33] Only by surrendering to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives can we seek to follow such
[00:01:38] sacrificial commands.
[00:01:39] Only by His power can we surrender every area of our lives to Him.
[00:01:44] As we do, the world will see Christ in us and they will know that we are His.
[00:01:51] Let's pray together.
[00:01:53] Father, empower us by your spirit to grow in Christ-like love.
[00:01:57] May the people around us see the wondrous transformation you're making in our hearts
[00:02:03] and glorify your name.
[00:02:04] We pray this in the name of Jesus.
[00:02:07] Amen.
[00:02:08] To take a deeper dive into today's devotional topic, check the show notes for links to additional
[00:02:14] resources.
[00:02:15] And while you're there, subscribe to the My Devotional podcast so you never miss an
[00:02:20] episode.
[00:02:22] My Devotional is a ministry of leading the way with Dr. Michael Yusef.
[00:02:27] To learn more, visit LTW.org today.