THE FRUIT FROM DISCIPLINE

Tuesday - October 29, 2019

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“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11

Long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi of Finland was called the "Flying Finn" as he dominated distance running in the early 20th century. Nurmi set 22 official world records at distances between 1500 meters and 20 kilometers, and won nine gold and three silver medals in his twelve events in the Olympic Games. At his peak, Nurmi was undefeated for 121 races at distances from 800 meters upwards. Throughout his 14-year career, he remained unbeaten in cross country events and the 10,000 m.

How was Nurmi so dominate? He was considered a pioneer in regard to training; he developed a systematic all-year-round training program that included both long-distance work and interval running. His training program included walking, sprints, and calisthenics. When he was in the Finnish Army, he developed new training methods. He ran behind trains, holding on to the rear bumper, to stretch his stride, and used heavy ironclad army boots to strengthen his legs.

He was one of the first to use a stopwatch in his hand to check his performance. Through discipline, Nurmi became a world-class runner.

Discipline is never pleasant, but it is necessary to become more like Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, praise Jesus for the discipline that has come into your life and seek to learn from it and to walk closer to the Lord.

“Discipline is the secret to godliness. You must learn to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” – Jay Adams

God’s Word: “Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law” – Psalm 94:12