One thing I struggle with is when I see talented people not reach their full potential because of bad decisions, bad habits, and a lack of discipline, and one thing I love seeing is talented people who have fallen off track stop, regroup, and find themselves and succeed again.
There is a quote that says, “The pain of discipline is better than the pain of regret,” meaning that while discipline may be uncomfortable at the moment, the long-term consequences of not being disciplined and the regret that comes with it are far worse and longer-lasting.
Wisdom is doing today what your future self will thank you for, and maturity is doing what you know you need to do no matter how you feel.
However, none of us are perfect, and as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The time is always right to do what’s right.” We all make mistakes and we all fall short of being 100% disciplined, but the key is not letting one bad moment or day turn into a bad week or month.
When you do fall off or fall short, just make the next best decisions and the next right play, and the story of Dismas in the Bible is an example of how we can always repent and make the right choice no matter where we are in life.
When Jesus was hung on the cross, he was hung next to two thieves: Dismas, The Good Thief, and Grestas, The Bad Thief.
Dismas was known as The Good Thief because, unlike Grestad, he recognized Jesus as the Son of God and expressed faith in Him. He humbly asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom.
In Luke 23:39, Grestas said, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Dismas said back, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Dismas's conversion is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to turn to God. No matter how deep our sins are or how dire our circumstances are, there is always hope for redemption. His story teaches us that true repentance and faith in Christ can lead to salvation, even in the most unlikely places.
No matter where we are in life, we are one good decision away from a positive or negative change. Don't worry about everything that has gone wrong in the past or past failures; focus on what you can do right now or today to make a positive change that can get you going in the right direction.
Something(s) to Think About
1 - What is your biggest takeaway from this devotional?
2 - What is a goal you currently have, and what 1-3 things do you have to do with consistency to achieve that goal?
3 - How do you stay consistent with all the distractions that can pull you away from being disciplined?
4 - What are some distractions that get in your way, and how can you defeat the distractions so you can come back to being disciplined enough to achieve your goals?
My Prayer
Our, Father. Thank you for all the blessings you have given me and for igniting in me the passion to have and pursue goals. Please help me to be consistent, diligent, and disciplined in my pursuit of those goals, and when I do fall off, please help me recognize that, own that, and get back on track. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
For a printable PDF version of this post, click here: Dismas: The Good Thief
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