Discipline and Freedom
Without discipline, I'll always be at the mercy of the demands of the day or of other people's expectations.
My son, who is currently in the toddler stage, woke up much earlier than usual this morning and started crying. He's usually a very good sleeper and he patiently plays in his room when my wife and I are not up yet to get him. He rarely wakes up so early in the morning. Something must have bothered him today.
Usually, I'd be a little annoyed that I have to wake up earlier too to go see him and help him with whatever he needs (which wasn't anything specific). But today was different. I wasn't annoyed at all. I just went to go and see him. Part of the change in attitude was because I was already awake too. In fact, I had already been awake for about an hour and a half. For several weeks now, I've been intentionally waking up early (5 AM) to give myself more time to work on myself and my relationship with Christ.
So, it was not such a big deal when my son woke up early and I had to go get him. In fact, by that time, I had done plenty of stuff already—I worked out, I had a small breakfast, and I spent some time with the Lord in prayer. I didn't get to do everything I wanted though. I usually like to spend more time in prayer and I like to do some reading. But I have to learn to be flexible. I don't always have to have the perfect day.
It's OK to adjust routines especially for good reasons like being with your child. In fact, I should continue to anticipate unusual times like this. My child is going to change. There will be new seasons in life. A unique circumstance will emerge. I will need to learn to adjust my routines to match the stage of life I'm in.
Being disciplined (such as waking up at 5 AM) gives me the freedom to make adjustments along the way. Without discipline, I'll always be at the mercy of the demands of the day or of other people's expectations. I'll always just be reacting to situations that come my way. And I'll end up frustrated because I won't have the time and space to do what I need or want to do. Although discipline is hard, it ultimately gives me the freedom to adjust without feeling like I lost much in the end.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
