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Reprimands
To reprimand someone is to reprove sharply or censure formally usually from a position of authority.
A reprimand is a severe reproof for a fault; reprehension, private or public.
–Oxford English Dictionary
Synonyms for reprimand include reprove, rebuke, reprimand, admonish, reproach; all mean to criticize adversely. Reprove implies an often kindly intent to correct a fault. Rebuke suggests a sharp or stern reproof. Reprimand implies a severe, formal, often public or official rebuke. Admonish suggests earnest or friendly warning and counsel. Reproach and chide suggest displeasure or disappointment expressed in mild reproof or scolding.
–Merriam-Webster Dictionary
“Self is invariably due a reprimand.”–Edna Lister
A reprimand is due whenever you permit the self to speak or act in an inappropriate or illegal way, ranging from being impolite to being rude, cruel or hurtful, lacking in compassion, acting in a passive-aggressive way, etc. A reprimand, or any of its synonyms, is an indicator that you have fallen back to the Disciple Degree and are in need of discipline. Perfect discipline is command over the self, the appetitive soul until it is utterly subordinate to the rational soul. Reprimands and rebukes go hand-in-hand with your lack of sufficient self-discipline.
One who disciplines, rebukes, and annoys you is not your trial, but your teacher.–Edna Lister, February 22, 1936
God does not reprimand you; His law does. You must discipline yourself; otherwise, you set vast laws in action, fast and furiously at times, whose effects you must work out for yourself.–Edna Lister, August 17, 1937
You must be self-disciplined and watch your step. Rebuke the self!–Edna Lister, November 24, 1938
When you discipline self, you start to walk the Master’s Path of Destiny, the Via Christa.–Edna Lister, A Design for Ascension, 1941
Your obedience to law must be more than simple submission. It must be a burning desire to become the law. By your own choice, you have come this far. You can set soul debt aside by lifting it and working on it in prayer and self-discipline. Otherwise, you must work it out with people and events in your life. Self is invariably due a reprimand; face it or receive the reprimand of law and the censure of your own Oversoul.–Edna Lister, January 1, 1945
Let no small daily task in any department of life be too humble for your care in self-discipline for soul expansion. You face no greater need for the climb upward than to keep your vows, to finish each task, to leave nothing for another to stumble over as he seeks to redeem time, and to make each moment pay you the greatest of dividends, not only with a task well done but with some discipline of the self to exalt your soul. Your desire for perfection is good. Why do you find yourself receiving a prprimand? Your performance of self-discipline has too little heat to melt and dissolve that petty self to raise the appetitive soul to fully serve the rational soul’s conscious mind.–Edna Lister, July 3, 1945
When the soul is determined to become supreme, you will not miss an opportunity, but will make the most of every hour. Practice strenuous, stringent soul discipline in conquering earth. The first step is obedience to law. Rebuke the self!–Edna Lister, July 6, 1945
Every hour is an opportunity to release Power, and to discipline self for laxness.–Edna Lister, July 9, 1945
It takes effort and time to make a deep enough impression on the conscious mind’s memory cells. It takes rigorous self-discipline to overcome your appetitive soul’s habit of making excuses.–Edna Lister, July 10, 1945
You are of no use to the Master until all pride, resentment, grief, rebellion, etc., are completely disciplined out of your character. Complete surrender is doing and being as love, released to earth.–Edna Lister, July 16, 1945
Be self-disciplined and watch your step. Do not let down on self-discipline.–Edna Lister, July 19, 1945
The earth creature lives, eats, sleeps, mates, has pleasures and uses all energy for the same. Those who are successful in business apply self-discipline and driving power to use the hours others use for sleep and play to work for outer success. A genius is always one of Spirit, and has the strength within to apply the lash a million-fold harder to gain outer success. He is conscious of under-the-surface limitations, which hinder him from perfect freedom. The one who fails, uses his time for vain indifference, laziness and lukewarmness of desire to become anything.–Edna Lister, October 14, 1945
Make each hour count in full conquering of self and soul-discipline. “With me is the strong right arm of the Lord my God” when I let Him do the work and support me while I serve Him.–Edna Lister, January 16, 1946
While you stand on principle and steadfastly discipline your self, you hold your point of consciousness.–Edna Lister, June 17, 1947
Make new laws to fit your blind spots for discipline of self.–Edna Lister, June 20, 1947
You have had such training in the discipline of self. Is this training rigid? Yes. Cruel lashes? Yes. You need the reprimands and self-discipline to reach the heights of glory, crowns past beauty’s telling, Power past the world’s understanding. This will give you joy. You need a joy vibration to receive. You will not always be given this. Only by mastery can you attain, hold, and use joy. All practice of physical, mental or emotional discipline will bring relief from self, and slough all unlikeness to an absolute pattern of perfection until you cauterize the self. Stand on that principle in healing to complete it.–Edna Lister, July 5, 1947
Regularity in disciplining self will build your soul endurance beyond imagination. You must keep at the self-discipline.–Edna Lister, July 14, 1947
Self-discipline is the only way to earn the right to become a Chosen One. Do not let the subconscious mind get away with anything. Pay attention to everything, always. This you must do. Face it, self-discipline is the way.
You earn the right to ascend by rigid self discipline and staying up in consciousness.–Edna Lister, July 20, 1947
When you think you are so saintly and pure, self has betrayed you. This happens when you expect God to do something that only you can do here—cleanse self from the subconscious. You cleanse self here and now by digging and discipline. Do not expect God to do it for you. Be the conqueror. Otherwise, you are just "thinking about it."–Edna Lister, July 29, 1947
You may not “go to sleep” or rest from disciplining the self.–Edna Lister, August 17, 1947
You must constantly live under rigid self-discipline to ascend. Watch your self at all times, especially when you imagine yourself alone. You are never alone. You cannot escape the Father’s penetrating eye, studying you under all circumstances and positions to see if you can polish yourself to stand and ascend. The strictest discipline you can devise would not be half strict enough. This must be your measuring rod. Others notice how you watch your speech, the words you choose, your appearance, your manner and the way you handle the situation. On these points you make your future. You speak what is in your heart, mind and soul.–Edna Lister, August 26, 1947
You gain your place with most strenuous struggle and rigid discipline. This training in self-mastery is all self-discipline, direct application of law constantly, and living up in consciousness—remaining alert always and never allowing emotions or self to creep in.–Edna Lister, November 13, 1947
Discipline the self hourly for acceptance of law.–Edna Lister, December 14, 1947
As long as you stand and discipline self, you hold all points.–Edna Lister, January 8, 1948
You either discipline self or play at it. You cannot play your way into the kingdom of heaven, for the price is absolute strict self-discipline. You may never play with the law.–Edna Lister, June 3, 1948
As you censor yourself in the love and wisdom of ever-growing self-discipline, more Light of illumination will pour through for truly exalted knowing. All self-discipline shall pay great dividends.–Edna Lister, February 4, 1949
Soul requires rigid discipline of self that is balance under God.–Edna Lister, February 26, 1949
Parents save the souls of their children by giving them the laws of discipline.–Edna Lister, June 13, 1951
Sweetly, firmly and finally discipline the self.–Edna Lister, September 4, 1952
The soul must have discipline; to be disciplined is the only anchor of security.–Edna Lister, Seven Angels and Seven Seals, December 9, 1952
Make sacrifice of self on details, for therein lies the only true way of ascension. Self-discipline may best be done in these small things. By doing so, you build up conquering power to handle all things greater in nature.–Edna Lister, April 5, 1953
Many credits remain for you to earn by more self-discipline, more soul conquering and more censoring the tones of voice. These cover your present need for self discipline.–Edna Lister, November 25, 1953
You reap whatever you sow, and find yourself caught in others’ reactions if you act or speak in an undisciplined way.–Edna Lister, July 12, 1954
Wipe the day’s page clean each night, lift every negative thought and word so you neither harm nor delay yourself or others.–Edna Lister, November 21, 1955
Apply a rigid discipline, not one that is “soft in the middle”; be definite with the self, not indecisive.–Edna Lister, June 11, 1956
Discipline yourself. You are only as strong as your weakest detriment. Make a ladder of your weakest points.–Edna Lister, June 26, 1956
The people and situations in your life provide your opportunities for self-discipline.–Edna Lister, February 5, 1957
Practice being perfect “as of this minute.” God loves you and says, “Yea, I hold you in My arms, but I cannot set aside law.” Disciplining yourself as a student must be rigid. Never let self get away with a thing. If a lesson comes, do not say, “What have I done to deserve this?” Just say, “Thank You for this, Father. Here it is. I lift it to Thee.”–Edna Lister, December 30, 1957
A universal law is behind every rigid discipline. You must always listen with 100 percent of your faculties (subconscious, conscious and super-conscious mind) to see and hear spiritually.–Edna Lister, January 1, 1958
You must stand in the Light for it to absorb taints. Let “moment by moment perfection” be your motto. It takes rigid discipline of self for the sake of soul glory.–Edna Lister, January 8, 1958
Disciplining self is most necessary, the one strength to attain. Without rigid discipline of self, you remain static in consciousness, Light seeping through only gradually. You will not get worse or grow in this suspended animation of consciousness. It takes rigid discipline to see and hear spiritually. Discipline self twenty-four hours a day. This is available to all believers, according to their faith, and degree of acceptance.–Edna Lister, January 9, 1958
The law says, “As long as one stands and disciplines self, all points are held.” To stand is to be steadfast. The difference is then self control. You want discipline of the little self rather than control. Discipline teaches a lesson, but control just inhibits you.–Edna Lister, August 19, 1958
To be great in the kingdom requires constant vigilance and rigid self-discipline here. Work it out.–Edna Lister, September 17, 1958
When the self accedes, God moves in. Be God’s “yes man” and you will always be right in the world of men. This law requires the utmost in self-discipline. Not the self but the soul wins.
Your subconscious mind knows only what you tell it. Begin to see yourself as God sees you, as beautiful, strong, equal to all situations. He sees all your true intentions and the perfect image in which you started out millions of years ago. Discipline the self until you see yourself as He sees you, constantly. This eliminates all self-pity.–Edna Lister, October 9, 1958
Improvement is not a flash in the pan or brilliance in action, but a steady, constant forward and upward conquering, hour by hour. It includes rigid self-discipline and attention to the smallest detail.–Edna Lister, The 33 Degrees of Soul Conquering, October 27, 1959
Higher law always asks much more rigid discipline of the self.–Edna Lister, October 30, 1959
The information and knowledge that you store in your memory cells do not ascend you, but sorting, separating and obeying a few laws at a time does. Use rigid self-discipline to keep those few, and you find yourself automatically adding another law as you grow stronger.–Edna Lister, December 6, 1959
Rigid discipline means to hear, hearken, heed, and obey at all times. Then add to that a definite reprimand to the subconscious if it betrays you by idle words or a taint, adding the reprimand, “This is enough!”–Edna Lister, December 11, 1959
Ninety-eight percent of your problems are nothing more than old habits. It takes guts to discipline yourself all the time.–Edna Lister, January 3, 1960
Postponement and delay are due to lack of self discipline.–Edna Lister, February 4, 1960
“I AM shall never miss a detail today.” Compare this with what you are doing. Discipline is the key. Do not blame another for what you forget to do. It is not their task, or they would remember it.–Edna Lister, February 22, 1960
You might just as well make up your mind to chasten yourself, which means to discipline yourself to use the good words that will keep the vibration of joy and Light open. Now you have given the best you have allowed yourself to give. How about allowing yourself a greater good to give?–Edna Lister, May 8, 1960
Establishing one habit of self-discipline makes it easier to establish another.–Edna Lister, June 10, 1960
For ages, those who have been unable to take the rigid discipline of soul conquering have dropped by the wayside as unworthy. The definite tragedy of earth is that you can stop just short of knowing the full rapture, ecstasy and joy coming from complete acceptance of responsibility. You know your disobedience and its depth by the depth of the rebellion and of surrender of self will. Heavenly Councils never pass out bribes for holding and doing your duty.–Edna Lister, June 22, 1960
You ascend as you mature and become self-disciplined; life offers you ample opportunities to learn to discipline to a higher way of life.–Edna Lister, The Destiny of America, October 11, 1960
The laws of the great abyss are the hardest of all to learn, and it includes all abysses between earth and the Source. Countless thousands of descended creator gods lose their places here and start to regress through self-blame, self-pity or even resentment for such trials by fire. This Great Crossing is the cleaning up of all taints. There is no easy way to conquer it, and you can accomplish the great crossing only through most rigid soul disciplining. At times you can only gasp for breath from pain, but usually from a self-disgust. You can do it as a miracle, or inch by inch.
Some choose a little death every day. Yet, you can accomplish it as did Paul, by walking out of prison free. The time is now for you to move up in consciousness forever. Wasting time in dullness is very silly, when to stay up always means complete awareness, alertness, and conquering. Every prayer, statement, declaration and desire to move up in consciousness adds bricks to your stairway to comprehension, direct from the Source. You are now crossing a final section in the bridge from your line of fate to your path of destiny. You cannot afford to look back, falter, or tolerate self.
You shall demand perfection of the self, alertness, awareness of all that happens about you, with no self-excuses or justification. Only one answer to each episode is right: "Move up in consciousness into the Light."
Make of your self a gift to lay on the altar, bringing whatever it is the situation is making or giving with you.–Edna Lister, January 3, 1961
Thank God for disciplining. The greatest of all is to love God enough to want to be perfect. Thank God when others trim your sails. Take everything that comes as help to make you more perfect. Be alert and never miss a detail, ever. If Edna Miriam sees something and tells you about it, it is nothing to her, but being it is necessary for you. God works everything together for good and you learn as you progress.– Edna Lister, September 7, 1961
A child becomes moral under discipline and training.
The road of life is a narrow road of discipline.
You must chasten yourself on idle words, which means to discipline yourself to the good words that will hold joy and the Light vibration.–Edna Lister, The Seven-Branched Candle Stand, October 31, 1961
Working by the clock is good rigid self-discipline, but timeless, spaceless, ageless, immortal soul recognizes no time.–Edna Lister, The Power to Transform, December 4, 1962
No time is better to discipline or to reprimand than now.–Edna Lister, January 10, 1963
Be rigid in your self-discipline. Every idle thought creates according to its own kind.–Edna Lister, June 7, 1963
Honor, loyalty and integrity are the first fruits of self-discipline and self-sacrifice.–Edna Lister, August 15, 1963
You can discipline the subconscious mind only in the moment of its disobedience, or you are just “thinking about” doing it, which is based in self-satisfaction, and sets the subconscious in its selfish concrete while “little me” does as it pleases.–Edna Lister, July 28, 1964
Discipline is a pattern most easily learned at home when you are young.–Edna Lister, November 27, 1964
Self-discipline must work from physical attention to detail through the emotional and the mental, to remove blocks that hinder the Light from doing its perfect work through you.–Edna Lister, January 3, 1965
The Eastern mind-set is better prepared for ascension in some ways, for they are taught sacrifice of self and are accustomed to heeding and obeying orders. It is not as hard for them as for the Western mind, which is undisciplined to a large extent. Self-discipline is so out of vogue that people in the metaphysical circles discipline themselves only mildly, and in the churches virtually not at all. They think about it, wash their auras on Sunday, but do nothing at all the next day.
Each soul eventually finds his own way of bridging the abyss to God consciousness. Religion is supposed to be a bridge, but it must permeate your physical, mental and spiritual phases of life to complete the bridge. To succeed as a bridge, religion must be a way of life. Few souls choose that.–Edna Lister, June 24, 1966
Discipline yourself and lift. Change! Become!–Edna Lister, September 8, 1966
Rigid discipline of self creates a beautiful life.–Edna Lister, Beauty, a Spiritual Way of Life, May 9, 1967
Improvement of mind alone is impossible without general improvement of whole life. If you think better, you should live better, and no man’s thoughts can be higher than the standard of his actions. To think great and noble thoughts, you must purify and refine body and soul.
You must practice the discipline of remembrance at the end of each day, and examine your thoughts and impulses. Forethought comes from discipline and prevents “thoughtlessness.” A trained mind can think back from actions to causes and forward to results.
Education is a way of living, a bringing forth, not a pouring in. It must come from above, from soul.–Edna Lister, Greek Philosophers and Mystics: Pythagoras to Plotinus, November 26, 1968
Nonresistance requires the utmost self-discipline until the soul wins, not the self.–Edna Lister, December 6, 1968
You never reach the point where you do not need to discipline your self.–Edna Lister, August 3, 1969
Top ↑Edna Lister said these two laws apply to reprimands: 1. “Do not take a reprimand personally or to the self, but take it seriously as pure law.” 2. “You do what is hidden in you; your every word gives you away, in your answers to lessons and reprimands.”
What is a reprimand? Simply put, people reprimand you all the time, whenever you step out of line in life—a speeding ticket is a reprimand, and so is "I don’t like the way you said that!" A reprimand may come during a performance review, or as a coworker’s complaint about you. A reprimand may also come as a message in the voice of your conscience.–Linda Mihalic, September 7, 2010.
Old Testament on Disciplining the Self
As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.–Proverbs 26:11
He that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.–Proverbs 16:32
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.–Proverbs 25:28
Every prudent man deals with knowledge: but a fool lays open his folly.–Proverbs 13:16.
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Edna Miriam Lister1884–1971
The original Pioneering Mystic,
Christian Platonist philosopher, American Idealist, Founder, Society of the Universal Living Christ, minister, teacher, author, wife, and mother.
Etymology of reprimand: Latin reprimenda "that is to be repressed" (as in reprimenda culpa "fault to be checked," reprimenda res "thing that ought to be repressed").
Reprimand of the self is a law of doing.
Quote
Nothing can be more cruel than the leniency which abandons others to their sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe reprimand which calls another Christian in one’s community back from the path of sin.–Dietrich Bonhoeffer
References
Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community, HarperOne; 1st ed. November 5, 1978.
Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, 2024.
The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2024
The Oxford English Dictionary: Compact Ed., 2 vols. E.S.C. Weiner, ed. Oxford University Press, 1971.
Related Topics
See Obedience