Discipline vs. Motivation in your Christian walk?

[steve-in-kville]

I was doing some watching/listening to some of my favorite motivational speakers over the weekend. One brought up the subject to what motivation is to do the right thing, versus the discipline it takes.

Thought I'd throw the concept out here on the forum. No direction or agenda, just please behave yourselves.

[MaxPC]

No direction or agenda, just please behave yourselves.

Where is the fun in that?

On a more serious note, my first rambling thought is: motivation often involves another person mentoring and helping the individual as a role model. Discipline comes from within the individual himself.
One can be motivated but undisciplined: a desire to do X but not having the discipline to do X.
One can be unmotivated but disciplined: no desire to do X but having the discipline to do X anyway.

[steve-in-kville]

No direction or agenda, just please behave yourselves.

Where is the fun in that?

Yeah, I know. My attempt to lay some ground rules, as fruitless as it may seem

[MaxPC]

No direction or agenda, just please behave yourselves.

Where is the fun in that?

Yeah, I know. My attempt to lay some ground rules, as fruitless as it may seem

Ground rules are important, I have found.

[steve-in-kville]

I'll tell this story: a former employer (owned a construction company) was in his mid-50's and suffered a heart attack. Not serious, but nothing to sneeze at either. Anyways, doctor told him he needs to start exercising regularly to improve his cardiovascular system, or next time he wouldn't be so lucky.

He bought a treadmill and put it in his garage, and every morning he got up at 4am and did a brisk walk for however long he was prescribed to. I saw him a few weeks later on the job site and I asked him how it was going. He described it as taking a lot of discipline to get up and knock it out, even when there was zero motivation left in him.

Even over the winter, it took all he had to leave a warm bed to go out to a cold garage. There was no motivation, just discipline at that point.

[Neto]

I'll tell this story: a former employer (owned a construction company) was in his mid-50's and suffered a heart attack. Not serious, but nothing to sneeze at either. Anyways, doctor told him he needs to start exercising regularly to improve his cardiovascular system, or next time he wouldn't be so lucky.

He bought a treadmill and put it in his garage, and every morning he got up at 4am and did a brisk walk for however long he was prescribed to. I saw him a few weeks later on the job site and I asked him how it was going. He described it as taking a lot of discipline to get up and knock it out, even when there was zero motivation left in him.

Even over the winter, it took all he had to leave a warm bed to go out to a cold garage. There was no motivation, just discipline at that point.

I would guess that his "motivation" was the desire to go on living, for whatever reason that supplied that desire. The discipline was there because, 1., he believed the doctor (or possibly because his wife believed the doctor), and 2., the desire to live (or to show his love for his wife and children, by doing all he could to remain with them) was stronger than the desire to avoid all of the additional effort, getting up early, doing the strenuous exercise. etc.

I just don't think discipline exists without some sort of motivation. In the Christian life, it might be the fear of falling away, of being one to whom Jesus will say, "Go away - I never knew you". I do think that while sometimes it might be a wild love for God, sometimes that fear is all that is there, and that fear can also be a part of the love for God. Loving Him, we should fear anything that might come between us. (Push back is welcome, as always.)

[barnhart]

I don't understand how discipline and motivation are in opposition.

[steve-in-kville]

I don't understand how discipline and motivation are in opposition.

Not sure I really stated they were.

[barnhart]

Well, the title is "Discipline vs. Motivation" which seems to indicate an either/or choice.

[steve-in-kville]

Well, the title is "Discipline vs. Motivation" which seems to indicate an either/or choice.

Now I see what you mean. Could have worded that different. They are obviously two different things, didn't mean to imply they worked against each other.