Religion

The goal of this article of the series on the beatitudes and the necessity of character formation is to make a strong case for using the beatitudes of Matthew 5 as tools for the formation and maintenance of good character. Character, in the sense of the inner part of a person that is responsible for the person's attitudes and actions, deserves serious attention. But before delving into the beatitudes and character development, let us summarize what was discussed in the introductory article of this series. The following observations were made:

A good character (what the Bible calls a good name) is better than silver and gold, position, power, and fame. But what is character? Why is it essential for the development and destiny of every human being? What is needed to produce and promote good character? Character is what makes a person who he/she is. It is the inner part of a person that makes him/her good or bad.

The character of a person determines his/her actions, decisions, attitudes, priorities and general direction in life. It is the dominant feature of a person's life. The total mental and moral qualities that make up a person's worldview and attitude are what constitute his/her character. In essence character is an attribute, a person's reputation for good or ill; the strength of a person's nature. Thus a person can have a good character or a bad character.

The writer of the biblical book of Proverbs says that “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver and gold” (22:1). Martin Luther King, Jr., predicted during the civil and racial rights struggles in the United States in the 1960's that a time would come when all Americans would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Indeed the significance of character cannot be overemphasized. One's principles, beliefs, values, standards, and practices or a lack of all these are products of one's character. This article introduces a series that seeks to explore the subject of human character and how an understanding of the beatitudes taught by Jesus may help form and maintain character.

The focus of this fourth article of the series on the necessity of self-discipline for a healthy and successful living is on two key areas in which every individual and society need to have and retain discipline. These two areas are the home and the moral arena of life. The third article considered how to cultivate and maintain the virtue of discipline. It observed the following main points: some of the major causes of lack of discipline are: (1) lack of examples around one, (2) lack of determination or lack of will to do well in life, (3) lack of dream or vision to be great and make meaningful contributions to life, and (4) lack of incentives for discipline. Is indiscipline a solely individual failure or a societal or environmental failure? Like similar questions considered seriously by sociologists: “Are leaders born or made?” “Are differences in boys’ and girls’ behavior innate or learnt?” “Are we products of our society or do we in large part determine who we become?” In past and present times many persons take one side or the other of the debate over these issues.

This third article of the series on the necessity of self-discipline for a healthy and successful living focuses on the dearth (shortage of) of discipline among so many people in our world today. Why is there so much indiscipline in many societies?

Is the lack of discipline an environmental/societal failure or is it a solely an individual failure? The article before this one (article two) considered how to cultivate and maintain the virtue of discipline. This article will advance some reasons why some people and individuals are not able or fail to cultivate the virtue of discipline.

In the second article on cultivating and maintaining discipline the following salient points were noted: to learn self-discipline is to consciously decide to want to be successful and godly in the right way, with a clear conscience. Some people want to be successful in any way, rightly or wrongly. To obtain the right success in the right way requires saying no to many things now in order to be able to say yes to the essentials in life. It means delaying certain things now in order to have the best of them later on.
Self-discipline entails a lot of self-denials.