Are You Disciplined Enough?
Most of us intuitively know and understand the need to be disciplined at work. When you work for someone else, even if you're not inclined to be self-disciplined, your job usually imposes at least some level of discipline on your daily activities, even is it's only what time you have to show up for work and what time you leave for the day.
If you're self-employed, most likely you know that being self-employed demands that you exercise self-discipline. In fact, my experience has been that many, if not most, self-employed individuals struggle with this to some degree. It's one of the more challenging aspects of "being your own boss."
No matter whether you're an employee or self-employed, you won't get very far without some form of self-discipline. To discipline oneself means to train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way. Some of us take to self-discipline more naturally than others.
But whether it comes naturally or you've got to work at it, a good place to both deepen your understanding of the benefits of discipline is our old friend, the Rule of St Benedict. Indeed, the Rule itself basically describes a disciplined way of thinking, speaking, and acting. Yes, it was written for monks who live together in a monastery, but as we've pointed out many times, it's chock-full of lessons and advice for all us men who labor in these vineyards of the Lord, whether we're harvesting grapes, writing computer code, welding iron, running a business or the myriad other jobs we Catholic men perform for the greater glory of God.
Now lest you mistake leading a disciplined life as something especially difficult, reading the Rule of St Benedict you can't help but notice that, while discipline lies at the heart of the life of a monk - and by extension at the heart of the work of us who work "in the world" - it's not meant to be too difficult. Notice St Benedict's moderate tone:
See how the end of discipline isn't that we become rigid, cold, controlling martinets, just as the object of God's commandments isn't to make us obedient "puppets" who unquestionably follow a harsh taskmaster. Our purpose in the observance of discipline is to become righteous, not self-righteous. We will "run with unspeakable sweetness of love in the way of God's commandments." That's right: Love is the end of discipline.
So let's resolve to live - to work and pray - each day in a disciplined manner. In this we who work in the world are united to our brothers and sisters who labor behind those closed walls of the monastery: all of us in our own way working our way to Heaven.
If you're self-employed, most likely you know that being self-employed demands that you exercise self-discipline. In fact, my experience has been that many, if not most, self-employed individuals struggle with this to some degree. It's one of the more challenging aspects of "being your own boss."
No matter whether you're an employee or self-employed, you won't get very far without some form of self-discipline. To discipline oneself means to train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way. Some of us take to self-discipline more naturally than others.
But whether it comes naturally or you've got to work at it, a good place to both deepen your understanding of the benefits of discipline is our old friend, the Rule of St Benedict. Indeed, the Rule itself basically describes a disciplined way of thinking, speaking, and acting. Yes, it was written for monks who live together in a monastery, but as we've pointed out many times, it's chock-full of lessons and advice for all us men who labor in these vineyards of the Lord, whether we're harvesting grapes, writing computer code, welding iron, running a business or the myriad other jobs we Catholic men perform for the greater glory of God.
Now lest you mistake leading a disciplined life as something especially difficult, reading the Rule of St Benedict you can't help but notice that, while discipline lies at the heart of the life of a monk - and by extension at the heart of the work of us who work "in the world" - it's not meant to be too difficult. Notice St Benedict's moderate tone:
"...nothing that is harsh or burdensome. But if, for good reason, for amendment of evil habit or the preservation of charity, there be some strictness of discipline, do not be at once dismayed and run away from the way of salvation, of which the entrance must needs be narrow. But, as we progress in our monastic life and in faith, our hearts shall be enlarged, and we shall run with unspeakable sweetness of love in the way of God's commandments..."Yes, we need strictness in amending our faults, our evil habits. That's just common sense. But note especially that with the practice of discipline, as we develop good habits to replace the bad, "our hearts shall be enlarged."
See how the end of discipline isn't that we become rigid, cold, controlling martinets, just as the object of God's commandments isn't to make us obedient "puppets" who unquestionably follow a harsh taskmaster. Our purpose in the observance of discipline is to become righteous, not self-righteous. We will "run with unspeakable sweetness of love in the way of God's commandments." That's right: Love is the end of discipline.
So let's resolve to live - to work and pray - each day in a disciplined manner. In this we who work in the world are united to our brothers and sisters who labor behind those closed walls of the monastery: all of us in our own way working our way to Heaven.
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