Finding Discipline

I never thought I’d find myself reading a book titled, “Disciplines of a Godly Young Man”. But when I opened my package from Crossway Publishers and looked inside to see what book they sent me to review, there it was, by Kent & Cary Hughes, a father-son duo who teamed up very well to write this book, and I had to laugh.

Obviously I am not a young man, and whether or not I’m very godly is a topic that can be taken up at another time. However, I do feel that discipline is a virtue I’m found lacking, so as I turned each page, I ignored the title and the occasional, overtly male-geared paragraph, and dug for gems I could benefit from. But I didn’t find any gems. I found diamonds.

This small hardback is a well-written, inspiring book; encouraging while convicting, setting high goals while being practical. It did not disappoint!

I love their distinction of discipline from legalism. Discipline is to attain godliness, legalism is to attain approval. It’s so easy to cross over that line, even when we start out with the right reasons, which is why I appreciate them pointing this out. 

I am astounded at how much this little book taught, and, by God’s grace, am already putting some of these disciplines into practice. I can’t imagine how beneficial it would be for me to actually read “Disciplines of a Godly Woman”. =)