Guest post: Ben reed on self discipline

Today's post is by community groups pastor Ben Reed.  Check out his site for church insights and more.  Here is a sampling of his work:

Future-minded discipline
Self-discipline: the act of doing something you don't want to do to achieve a result you couldn't otherwise achieve.

Self-discipline is all about the future. It may feel like it's all about the present, but it should always have the future in mind.

With just the present in mind, discipline is awful. Debilitating. Cumbersome. Stupid. But self-discipline bridges the gap between who you are right now and who you want to become.

Without self-discipline, who you are right now is who you will be next year. And if you're anything like me, that's a scary thought. I hope and pray that, this time next year, I've matured.

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. - Hebrews 12:11

Question: What areas of your life do you exercise self-discipline? Have you seen fruit from it?