The Freedom of Discipline
“At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
Editor’s note: This Lent, the Catholic Women in Business team is exploring the theme “Cultivating Virtue in the Desert.” Learn more here.
Ahh, Lent: a season that evokes mixed feelings—great anticipation knowing what awaits us at the end, mixed with a sort of hesitation that foreshadows the pending sacrifice and self-denial. The reappearance of the fish sandwich on the Chick-fil-A menu serves as a tried-and-true reminder that the season of Lent is upon us (not to mention a lifesaver on all those Fridays when I forget I’m not supposed to eat meat!). More importantly, Lent is a time for spiritual transformation, self-cultivation, and realigning our life to focus on what’s most important: Jesus (and perhaps even cutting back on that Chick-fil-A!).
Discipline: The Key Ingredient
The topic of self-cultivation reminds me of a powerful scene in the movie “Creed,” when Rocky Balboa communicates to his trainee, Adonis Creed, that the toughest opponent you’ll ever have to face is yourself. I find this statement to be incredibly Lent-y. Whether you decide to give up hitting the snooze button or social media, commit to a new daily prayer routine, or work on being more charitable toward that oh-so-difficult co-worker, the process of Lent is all about overcoming oneself to draw closer to Christ. The necessary ingredient for all of it is discipline.
Saint Thomas Aquinas says that “the goal and norm of discipline is bliss.” By this, I believe Aquinas is suggesting that discipline can lead us to an interior disposition of joy—one that evokes a sort of interior freedom. Ultimately, the practice of discipline is one that is freely chosen, which is part of what makes the reward so sweet—and what can make the process so challenging. I think most of us know what it feels like to begin a Lenten commitment or a New Year’s resolution and struggle to maintain it or even start it: It’s because it is a battle that wages within.
The battle within is one that can only be overcome with the pursuit of virtue—that which is oriented toward the good. Simply put, “discipline” is more of a modern term for the cardinal virtue of temperance, which Aquinas refers to as an ordering of our passions and desires, directing reason, and a form of self-regulation. Exercising discipline, or temperance, is a matter completely tied to our free will and our reason. Whether we implement it or not is entirely up to us. The pursuit of this virtue demands personal responsibility and requires that we confront the deepest parts of ourselves that can be difficult to tame.
Jesus’ Human Temptation
We can see how the virtue of discipline is carried out in the life of Jesus during his 40 days in the desert. When Jesus went into the desert, he went alone. He was by himself, enduring temptation after temptation. While the battle that Jesus endured was a spiritual one, it was also a human one and one of the flesh.
During those 40 days, Jesus was face to face with his humanity, his very identity. He battled his intellect, his will, his conscience. And he chose it freely. He could have given up and returned to the community that he loved so much, but he didn’t. He waited, he battled, he exercised self-restraint and great fortitude, and did not give into his human desires. This practice of self-regulation, of discipline, led him to his next chapter.
After this period of solitude and temptation, Jesus began his public ministry. This sequence of events tells us that in order to fulfill his mission, to serve others, and to become who he was created to be, Jesus first had to confront and conquer great temptation. In his battle in the desert, he defeated both physical and spiritual temptations before pursuing the next chapter wholeheartedly, with singleness of heart and mind.
Jesus’ temperance equipped him to pursue his ministry, surrender all, and give freely. He was not bound by fear; he confronted it. During our own Lenten journeys, we, too, can learn that we are not beholden to our bodily constraints—that we can overcome. This experience can fill us with the promise of hope to move forward.
The Pursuit of Freedom
Jesus’s desert experience is a powerful example of how discipline amid difficulty can equip us for the journey that lies ahead—and ultimately free us to love more deeply and pursue God’s call in our life. Furthermore, it is an excellent portrayal of how our free will, and our reason, are so deeply tied to our pursuit of virtue.
As humans, the greatest masterpiece of God’s creation, the greatest weapons we have at our disposal are our intellect and our will. May we use this Lenten season to strengthen them both, to overcome ourselves and the interior battles we face.
So, my dear sister in Christ, and fellow traveler on the journey, let us run, so as to win the race. Let us run with all of heart and soul toward the eternal crown that awaits us. Let us not grow weary in our pursuit of discipline so that we may discover the freedom that God has in store for us (1 Corinthians 9: 24-25).
A native of Colorado, Krista Keil graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with a specialization in traumatology, at Divine Mercy University. Krista has spent the last ten years working with youth and diverse populations in the non-profit sector in varying capacities, with an emphasis on mental health. Additionally, Krista has a background in international and domestic mission-based work and event coordination. Krista is passionate about helping others actualize their potential, the study of human flourishing, and the intersection of character, virtue, and leadership. Krista currently works at the Youth Leadership Foundation in Washington D.C. as the Director of Character and Mentorship. In her free time, Krista enjoys spending time outdoors, is a lover of spontaneous adventures, good cooking, and chai tea! Krista currently resides near Washington D.C. Visit her on her website or on Instagram @1iveinspired.