Self-Control

March 30, 2022

‘Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, self-control.’ 2 Peter 1:5–6 CEV

Ever notice how we tend to blame our circumstances for our character deficiencies? We attribute our problems to poor upbringing, financial difficulties, or other people’s shortcomings. Your circumstances may be beyond your control—but your character isn’t. You can no more blame your character flaws on circumstances than you can blame a mirror for how you look.

Integrity is always a choice, and every time you make a character-based decision, you take a step forward in your spiritual growth. Think about the times you have faced temptation and adversity. Jot them down, and beside each one, note your choice: to escape, excuse, capitulate, avoid, persevere or overcome. What problem areas can you identify? How can you do better?

If the things you listed were due to circumstances beyond your control, then choose to take greater control of your life. How? ‘By adding… self-control’ to your arsenal. Our lives resemble icebergs, in that 15 per cent is visible; that’s our reputation. The rest, our character, is hidden below the surface. Character is what we think but don’t necessarily share. It’s based on what we do when nobody’s looking, how we handle life’s little aggravations, how we handle failure—and success.

At the end of a brilliant career, Joshua challenged Israel with these words: ‘Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV) Character is based on self-control, and self-control is about making the right choices. And the good news is, you don’t have to do it alone: ‘God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey Him.’ (Philippians 2:13 CEV)

SoulFood: Job 38–39, Luke 20:27–40, Ps 6, Pro 8:32–33

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2020

TWFT Archives Calendar

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
28      
       
       
       

Related Post

Start your day with God

Develop the habit of starting each day with God. When you do, you will have a source of strength...

The blessed hope

Trusting in Christ’s soon return and our ultimate victory is what will sustain us in these days of...

Help for your marriage

Author Jean Kerr quipped: ‘Marrying a man is like buying something you've been admiring for a...

0 Comments