How To Live A Disciplined and Successful Life
A regular study of the book of Proverbs will change your life
We all want something out of life.
Some of us want financial success, work success, or simply to love our families and make sure their lives are better.
Yet, the world and the culture today tell us that this is 100% on us. That we are the only ones what can change the course of our lives.
But, I do not believe that is true.
Well, not completely true. I think it is a partnership to see our lives changed. I believe that it is a collaboration between ourselves and the God of heaven.
And I think is starts with retraining our minds.
Renewing our Minds
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” — Romans 12:1-2 NLT
The key to this passage is that we would not copy the behaviors of the world but we would let God transform us by the way we think.
But, how do we do that?
Well, anyone who has been around the church for a minute will know that it starts with reading our Bible regularly. However, I would venture to say that your Bible reading and change can start in one place.
The Book of Proverbs
“Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” — Proverbs 1:2-7 NLT
At the beginning of the book of Proverbs we find out exactly why you should read this book of the Bible. It is to help people live disciplined and successful lives.
Here’s the thing, this is disciplined and successful lives based on the Kingdom of Heaven, not based on the world’s common cultural principles that we face today.
Now, yes, we cannot take every word in a literal sense because some of the principles found in the book of Proverbs are cultural in nature. That’s why we can’t take everything literally.
However, if there is one thing that I have found interesting about the above passage is the last line:
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. — Proverbs 1:7
Now, the fear of the Lord is a huge topic. But in essence, it’s a reverent fear. It’s the kind of fear where you know God is all powerful, he created everything, and ultimately he knows better than we do.
It is in this fear that we can begin to understand wisdom, discipline, and knowledge. If we know that God is indeed the creator of the universe and that he is good, then we can go to him to learn and become wise.
How Do We Step Into Discipline and Success?
Discipline, wisdom, knowledge, understanding all take time to acquire and turn into success. Yet, there are a few practical steps you can take to make it happen.
Here are a few tips to get started with the book of Proverbs:
- Pick up my devotional on the Book of Proverbs. This is a simple meditative devotional on some key verses found in Proverbs to mediate on throughout your day.
- Once you have completed the devotional. Choose to read one full chapter a day for a month. Simply read it, don’t do anything else.
- Then, for a third month, read a chapter a day and underline anything that sticks out to you. Ask God why these things seem to impact you.
You will be surprised at how three months of reading the book of Proverbs will change the way you think and start to give you new insights into the world.
Final Thoughts on Discipline and Success
Ultimately, your discipline and success come with time. You can read all the scriptures in the Bible and you won’t become disciplined and successful over night.
However, you can learn some important things that can change your life day after day. And most of all, it can help you improve your life.
Reading the book of Proverbs has been huge for my life, and I hope that it can make an impact for you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Proverbs in the comments below!
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack!
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