The discipline of a slug …

There is nothing attractive about a snail, and they don’t make fun pets, but that didn’t stop me from playing with them when I was a kid.

Well, I really didn’t “play” with them, it was more like pestering them. As a kid, I was fascinated with how determined these slugs were. I would occasionally see a snail (which is a slug) making its way very, very slowly to a safer destination, and I would “re-route” it. The soft, slimy bodies of slugs are prone to desiccation, so in warmer temperatures they are forced to retreat to moist environments and damp hiding places when the weather is dry. No matter how many times I pointed the slug in a different direction, it slowly turned around and, once again, headed for a safe place.

I actually learned something from those gross little creatures, and that is: if you apply the discipline of a slug, you can overcome sin.

In Titus 2:11-12, we’re instructed to turn from sin: “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God …”

The Christian life is kind of like that slug trying to make its way to a safe place for its survival, there’s a lot of things that may try to re-route or pester us from going where we’re headed. But regardless of what gets in our way, or how many times someone or something tries to re-route us, we need to apply the simple-minded discipline and determination of a slug by persistently pursuing the course to safety.

If a tiny slug can overcome all kinds of obstacles by applying the discipline to constantly keep correcting its course, how much more can we accomplish as children of God? Paul wrote to Timothy, “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).

Paul’s message to Timothy wasn’t simply to run from evil, but also to pursue — like with the stubborn discipline of a slug — a righteous, godly life.

Overcoming sin requires the exercise of self-discipline, but we have a much greater power than our own efforts to help ensure we really can overcome any obstacle that comes our way. Paul describes this in Galatians 5:16-25:

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

The Holy Spirit leads, enables, and empowers us to be able to overcome any obstacle to righteous living. We simply have to have the “discipline of a slug” to constantly correct our course to that of the Holy Spirit’s leading.

How do you handle obstacles to righteous living? What role does discipline play in your life in making sure you’re following the direction of the Holy Spirit rather than being re-routed? How persistent are you in checking, and correcting, your course to that of the Spirit’s leading?

Scotty