WHO OR WHAT IS IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE?

SCRIPTURE:
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 
(Ephesians 5:15-16)

MEDITATION:
We can sit around wishing that we were godly for the next ten years, 
but it won’t happen! 
We have to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness.
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; 
rather, train yourself to be godly. (1 Timothy 4:7)

The presence or absence of self-discipline is probably one of the most 
determining factors in whether a person will do well, 
or have serious problems in his Christian life. 
Self-control (or discipline) is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, 
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things 
there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The grace of God empowers us to say “No” to ungodliness 
and to live self-controlled lives.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It 
teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live 
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11-12)

Paul compares discipline for godliness with physical exercise 
and his analogy is helpful in thinking about how to do it. 
The athlete sets a goal and then works hard to reach that goal. 
By definition, 
self-discipline means going against your feelings for a higher goal.

The athlete wants to win, so he works out every day and controls his diet,
even when he doesn’t feel like it, so that he might win the prize. 
We need to remember that discipline is an ongoing process 
and not a quick fix.
Whenever an athlete stops training, what happens?

He gets out of shape as his muscles become weaker 
and he doesn’t work off the fat.
As a result, he is no longer qualified to win the prize. 
We have to set aside all hindrances, keep our eyes on the goal, 
and manage our time with our ultimate goal in mind.

ACTION:
As you know, self-control is not an easy task 
because we want to give in to our natural impulses.
Why? Because it is much easier to ‘go with the flow” than to “swim upstream”.
Just as the athlete’s muscles have to adapt to the training 
in order to be vibrant and strong, you too need to adapt to self-control, 
in order to become a vibrant and energetic Christian.

If you expect to increase your relationship with the Lord 
and enjoy your life as a Christian, then self-control is a necessity. 
To enjoy the Christian life, you have to familiarize with, 
and adjust to the requirements of living as a child of God. 
The rewards are outstanding as you discover that self-control 
is not something designed to steal your enjoyment of living.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for my salvation. Fighting against my 
natural desires is not an easy task, but thankfully You have given me 
the Holy Spirit to help me in the development of self-control. Help me 
with my battles against my sinful desires so that I can become more godly 
and grow closer to You. I look forward to becoming a stronger believer 
and to enjoying the benefits of exercising self-control in my life. Remind 
me that self-control includes considering others ahead of myself and my 
desires.”