Why Committing to God Requires Self-Discipline and Joyous Struggle

Overcoming your desires develops greater joy than self-indulgence ever could

A man prays for strength and wisdom. Image created by author using Canva.

“Let the one who thinks he stands firm, take care that he does not fall.

“No temptation has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience; but God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but along with the temptation He will provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it.”

1 Corinthians 10:12–13

If your desires overwhelm you, and you feel like they’re too great, then your strength, found in Christ alone, is mightier than you credit.

The prophets and saints all struggled. Many of them even died brutal, horrific deaths in the name of Jehovah and of Jesus Christ. Your faith is about enduring struggle, but with your faith in God to overcome the intense adversary. You cannot lean on Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s wisdom if you don’t wrestle with your sin.

We all must contend with our sins. So, we all must depend on God’s grace and wisdom.

If you don’t wrestle with sin, then your sin has already submitted you. You must be honest with yourself, and conscientious.

Many scoff at the concept of sin because they see no error in indulging in the natural impulses and common urges to satisfy their desires. I plead to those who think this way: How long do you indulge in your pleasures before they become a vice you lean on, to get you through the work week?

I know what my desires are, and how I’ve abused them. I’ve watched my desires morph into habits for that brief respite of satisfaction—until the next urge comes. My quick high took more precedence over all else once the urges arose.

That is the mentality of a child.

What separates adults from children, most importantly, is the ability to exercise delayed gratification and self-control. Like physical fitness and diets, we must execute the same self-control to exact greater happiness than if we engulf a bag of chips (or a bottle of wine) at the end of a long, hard day at work.

Likewise, for those who exalt their normal human desires as “necessities,” or baseline needs, I would urge you to reflect on that notion. I know these thoughts because I used those same arguments myself.

As someone who once identified as an agnostic absurdist, I now say that they’re nothing but darkness rationalizing darkness for darkness's sake, which pushes you farther and deeper into the abyss. That is true both in the secular and Christian interpretation.

Whether you consider religion as a psychological phenomenon or as a spiritual truth, it doesn't matter. Impulse control is vital for living a fulfilled life.

Boundaries are healthy. Discipline is freedom. A life refusing sin requires both boundaries and discipline for greater happiness and lasting joy.

“For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Hebrews 12:11

Anyone who’s spent hours and hours for years of their life to achieve excellence at an instrument or a sport knows the pains of discipline. But over time, they also enjoy its yields. The joy of performing at high levels is only taught under discipline and repetition.

The reward for obedience and discipline is greatness. In this discussion, greatness equals happiness, joy, and true life fulfillment.

What Does It Mean To Be a Christian?

To be a faithful Christian means tackling your Canaan for what God has promised you. It means facing your Goliath with confidence in defense of God’s glory and majesty. It means remaining immovable when the flood comes, knowing that your name is written in His Book of Life since you believed in Him and the Son of God’s gift of eternal life.

You have His mercy and protection because you submit your best to Him, you sacrifice your most beloved idols—entertainers, wealth, sex—since none can come before Him. You trust in His faithfulness because you believe in Him, and He rewards those who love Him. Most incredibily, He waits patiently on those who reject Him and His holiness, justice, and goodness.

His Way brings peace, but that path requires a commitment to self-discipline, and joyous struggle because we’re imperfect and must climb out of our caves to journey through it.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3–5