Life Improves As I Practice Self-control (3)
Wednesday July 6, 2016
The Bible tells us that when God's Spirit lives in us, our lives will demonstrate it by qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. God works in us so we can choose and act in ways that please God and satisfy our souls. One of the ways we please God is to say "yes" or "no" at the appropriate time.
We live in a time and culture that could easily be labeled as self-indulgent rather than self-controlled. One principle that appears to operate in our lives in this 21st Century is, “If it feels good, do it.” God desires for us to have a rewarding and fulfilling life. Surprisingly, He tells us that in order to have that, we will sometimes have to deny ourselves some immediate pleasures. “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).
Just like the farmer who plants seeds and deals with weeds all through the growing season, so we will need to step by step choose to do what is right and fight against the temptation of immediate gratification. We’ll sometimes have to wait longer than we’d like and trust God’s care and His promise to provide us with everything we need at just the right time. While times of waiting like these are difficult, there are rich rewards to be reaped when we sow the seeds of self-control.
As we pay attention to God’s direction and allow His Spirit to mature the fruit of self-control in us, we will be blessed in this life and also be a blessing to others around us.
But we belong to the day. So let us control ourselves. Let us put the armor of faith and love on our chest. Let us put on the hope of salvation like a helmet. (1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIRV)
©2016 Partners in Hope
More information on this and other related topics @ www.partnersinhope.ca/resources
Audio for Life Improves As I Practice Self-control (3)
Recent Meditations
Giving Hope
Partners in Hope is supported wholly by our friends and community. We are thankful to everyone who partners with us to help bring hope to the discouraged, hurting, and hopeless.