Author Jim Rohn, motivational speaker, wrote that "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." 
It always irritates me when the world understands biblical truths better than the church!
In 1 Tim 4:7-8 Paul exhorts young Timothy to, "reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness ( discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness). 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." Paul tells Timothy to exercise or discipline himself for the purpose of godliness. Paul does not totally slam physical exercise, "it profits little." Paul exhorts Timothy to embrace the biblical spiritual disciplines as the BRIDGE to godliness. Godliness has promise for our present life and for eternity.
I love the image of the bridge locked in a thick fog...why? It reminds me of 2 Cor 5:7, "for we walk by faith, not by sight."
Less than one week ago my Dad went to be with the LORD...after Dana, my sister, called me with the news on Monday night, I laid in bed holding Diane's hand praying for my family and then the thought came to me..."Mark, you're next!" Not like next in order, but next in like my Granddad, my Dad, then me! I thought about the moment I take my last breath, the moment my heart beats its final beat and my spirit leaves this earthly tent and goes to be with Jesus. As the thought hit me I took a deep breath like I was preparing to jump off the high dive and the scripture came "we walk by faith, not by sight." Here me on this, please listen, please...people that know me well often admire me for the biblical discipline in my life and my desire for godliness, but do you see the root in our reading today? It almost feels selfish to me personally.
Let me try to explain this way...I have told my boys, "guys listen, if you discipline yourself then Daddy does not have to...would you rather me discipline you or would you rather do it yourself?" They always answer that they would prefer to discipline themselves. In a nut shell that is it...why do I labor to discipline myself? Yes, it is true, I long to live the spirit-filled life, I long to know HIM and make HIM known...but I must confess that I also long to spare myself the discipline of my heavenly Father. I have personally experienced it and I have watched others be disciplined by HIM and as for me and my family we prefer to discipline ourselves:)
The other thought is that the more I discipline myself in the faith now the easier it will be to walk through the final door that leads me to Jesus...the door called death! The more that I die to self, die to the flesh day after day the easier it will be...no it's not just easier, it is more like, "Oh I can't wait to go see Jesus, I long to leave this place and go to my true home to be with HIM!"
One last thought, in verse 16 Paul exhorts Timothy to watch his life, his conduct, and his doctrine or teaching and then he says something amazing..."in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." I'm not going to comment on this, but I pray that you will meditate on these words of scripture.
1 Tim 4:11-16 These things command and teach. 12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness!
love,
m