The need for self-discipline is as old as mankind itself. God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, with free will. Free will is the capability of choosing right or wrong. In Genesis 2:16-17, God commanded Adam not to eat the fruit of a specific tree. Free will is evident in Adam’s ability to choose obedience or disobedience. Willful obedience requires self-discipline. Adam demonstrated a lack of self-discipline when he chose to disobey God and eat the fruit from the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:6).
Adam was the direct creation of God (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:7) and as such, he had no human father. However, God still demanded perfect obedience from Adam, and that obedience required discipline from Adam.
When asked what a person needs to do to obtain salvation, Jesus responded that one should be prepared to give up all of one’s earthly ambitions and follow Jesus’ example (Luke 18:18-23). Jesus taught that the most important goals were to love God with all one’s heart and mind and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus’ life demonstrated a perfect example of self-discipline, dedicated to the one goal of serving God. Whether now or in the future, all mankind will be held to this same standard of self-discipline.
The Apostle Paul discusses the self-discipline necessary to meet the goal of pleasing God in several of his writings. In 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, Paul describes the need to practice discipline by “bringing his body unto subjection.” In Philippians 3:13, Paul indicates that serving God is “the one thing to do,” to the point of putting earthly pursuits aside (“forgetting those things which are behind”). This type of single-mindedness requires a great deal of self-discipline but is necessary to please God.
In both Jesus’ teachings and Paul’s writings, the standard for all is clear. There are no varying degrees of discipline depending on one’s circumstances. There are no lesser tiers of obedience laid out for those of different upbringings. Each person is different and will, either now or in the future, require different experiences to come into full harmony with God. However, the standard of loving God with all one’s heart and mind remains the same for all.
Fathers who seek to obey the teachings of the Bible understand that they have a responsibility to teach their children about God and how to obey and please Him (Ephesians 6:4, for example. Consider especially the New American Standard Bible’s translation of this verse). Children who had fathers who truly loved God and were receptive to the lessons that their fathers taught will naturally have the opportunity to understand God’s ways and the need for self-discipline. However, just like Adam and Eve, each person will eventually be required to make their own decision about choosing to obey God or not, independent of what their fathers may or may not have taught them.
Regardless of whether one was blessed with a father who taught one about God’s character and ways, all may have confidence that God will provide each person with enough resources to find the path to salvation. In Matthew 6:28-33, Jesus taught that God will provide all that is needed to those who seek him. Proverbs 34:10 makes a similar beautiful promise, in that God will not withhold any good thing from those who seek Him. All must remember, however, that seeking God, either now or in the future, requires the discipline of obeying His commandments.
