It is raining so I am standing under the bridge on the land beneath Michael’s calf.
The river rages past Uriel and I, ripping pieces of soil and vegetation from the banks as it goes.
We stand quietly for a while and I know that it is one of those times that I am able to ask a question.
Me:
“Why do some people fail and others succeed. Life always seems to tip the scales in favor of some and at the expense of others.”
Uriel:
“Discipline son of sorrow. All success has discipline at its core. The faithful steward has everything multiplied. The lazy steward has everything taken away. Discipline will raise you from the deepest hole in the worst place on earth, laziness will destroy you even if you live on a mountain made of Gold.
Those who practice their skills and hone their talents will stand before Kings who have the power to reward them proportionately. But those who try to get by on pure talent or luck will irritate Kings and be at the mercy of obscure men. God does not bless those who lack discipline because they waste what they are given. They are untrustworthy with little and certainly cannot be trusted with much.
Those who work diligently, practice their skills and hone their talents will always reap in due season. But those lacking discipline are a curse upon their families.”
Me:
“Wow. What about things like the favor of God and man? Surely grace is given to all?”
Uriel:
“Even those with supernatural favor can ruin what they are given by both God and man. Without discipline you cause both God and man to regret blessing you. This is why God Himself will sometimes even remove a talent from you to give to another. Laziness is a blight upon your destiny and a curse upon your loved ones. God opposes the proud and those who are too proud to walk a life of discipline are opposed by the very laws of nature. Their very bodies will rebel against them and they will be constantly sickly, tired, overweight and negative. Their loved ones will hate them and curse the day they met them. They will blame God for this but it is their own lack of discipline that curses them so.”
Me:
“So the route out of poverty is discipline?”
Uriel:
“Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Council, Might, The fear of God and the Spirit of the Lord! All of these require discipline from you to operate within you! If you connect to these seven Spirits and have the discipline to do as they instruct you, the spirit of lack and poverty will flee from you. Even sickness will flee.
Discipline is important son of sorrow. You cannot chop down a tree with a blunt axe, and even if you do, the exertion will make you tired, frustrated and sick.
Discipline is the key and laziness is a blight upon your family and a curse upon your life.”
Me:
“Does giving to churches, the poor etc. have any impact upon success?”
Uriel:
“The act of giving is of itself sterile. A disciplined giver is a whole other ballgame. Discipline treats giving as a honor and reward system. It rewards behavior and honors where honor is due.
If you are impacted by what you are taught, reward the teacher. If you do not reward the teacher, you dishonor what you are taught and it falls upon infertile soil. If you honor the teacher, you honor what is taught and it enters your life as a welcome guest.
To the wicked, the selfish and the lazy, recognizing authority and wisdom is impossible. For they elevate their own foolishness and call it wisdom.
But those who reward the work of God and the teachers He sends will reap in the afterlife and in this one. Entire nations will embrace the spirit of dishonor and laziness and be slaves because of it.
Those who are disciplined and quick to show honor will always be blessed and the lazy shall be their slaves.
Heed these words son of sorrow:
Hard work is not discipline and discipline is not hard work. Discipline is focusing upon strategic gifts for strategic goals. Hard work without strategic discipline is as sterile as giving without honoring.
Those who are too lazy to think strategically will always be slaves to those who are disciplined strategically.
The lazy will always be slaves to the disciplined.
Discipline is the key son of sorrow!”
I wake up.