A Disciplined Soldier!!

Well, once again I find myself being less than faithful in my posting, and wishing that I was a much more disciplined person. I can remember being in Basic Training (Army) at Fort Knox, Kentucky back in 1987. Man I excelled like mad! I went from the nobody private, to squad leader. I remember my Drill Instructor saying "you have been here over week and we still don't know who you are, that is a good thing, you are now a squad leader." I guess it was because I just did what was expected of me and did it to the best of my ability. It happened that way when I was in the very structured environment of Basic Training.


My first day out of Basic, many of us were in the Louisville, KY airport, awaiting a flight to San Antonio, Texas. Back in 1987, if you were a soldier in the US military, they would serve you alcohol regardless of a person's age. Need I go into detail? We were through with Basic, we were soldiers now, and headed to San Antonio. We got so drunk in Louisville that we were almost arrested when we arrived in San Antonio. Then the parties In "San Antone" just kept getting wilder and crazier by the minute, and it became quite commonplace to drink every night and show up for a.m. formation with a terrible hangover.


OK, how does this apply? Well, I find that I lack discipline in my life. When I am in a situation where I am working daily in a church, have men of God around me daily, serving continuously in some capacity, etc., I do so well! When I have that Basic Training mindset because of structure, I do so well and thrive in my relationship with the Lord and with people. But let me drift out of that and into the freedom of "self-discipline", oh boy, it is like a spiritual San Antonio that is hanging on by a thread and lacking the intense and radical discipline I must have as a soldier!

2 Timothy 2:3 tells me to "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." A good soldier is disciplined in all that he does! When I was in Basic Training I was an expert marksman, squad leader, and actually given the "Mad Dog" achievement award (which was my company's highest award); I was a good soldier! Then verse 4 of that same passage goes on to say "No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. "


Fort Sam Houston Texas was all about civilian pursuits and not pleasing those I was accountable to! I was living two lives! I was a soldier when I absolutely had to be and then a carnal beast when not on duty or off post. I was living a double life because I lacked that true self discipline that would have made me an even greater soldier and it ultimately led to me getting myself in trouble with the Military Police and almost getting kicked out several times!


Where are we today in our lives? What do the spiritual disciplines that make up a true RELATIONSHIP with God (the one who enlisted us).... what do these disciplines look like? Lack of spiritual discipline leads to lack of spiritual relationship. Lack of discipline only means a lack of obedience. Lack of obedience always leads to sinful behavior and that ALWAYS separates us from God. We do not worship the disciplines themselves, but the disciplines enable us to truly worship our Commander!


Please don't allow a lack of discipline and being "entangled in civilian pursuits" to cause you (or me) the type of struggles I had in the Army. I went from the most respected soldier in my company to the kid that was rendered almost useless as a soldier! There was nothing about me after a couple of years that would have distinguished me as even being a soldier; the exact same thing can happen in our spiritual lives! We are to be set apart as "Mad Dog" award winners! Am I truly distinguishable as "A good soldier?"