2018-03-05
Ephesians 4:27 GNT
Avoid the things that tempt you. Stay away from situations that weaken your self-control. If you do not want to be stung, stay away from bees. Plan in advance to avoid situations that you know are going to cause temptation in your life. Don’t keep candy in the cupboard if you are trying to diet. Don’t acquire credit cards if you are an impulse spender. Get rid of your access to pornography if you are struggling with it. If you are a teenager, the time to begin thinking about self-control is not when you’re in the back seat of a car with someone who turns you on. Question: What do you need to avoid? Or get rid of? Magazines? Books? DVDs? A relationship? The Bible says, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV). Avoid people and situations that tempt you. You may need to change your job because a relationship there is wrong and harmful to you. That’s a drastic measure, but you may need to do something that drastic in order to avoid whatever is tempting you at this particular time. If you have lived through years of repeated failure, then it’s time to get honest. And humble. It’s time to pray: “Lord, I’m not strong enough to resist this temptation by myself. Help me!” He will! “I patiently waited, Lord, for you to hear my prayer. You listened and pulled me from a lonely pit full of mud and mire. You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm…Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the Lord God” (Psalm 40:1-3 CEV).
Soul food: Rev 1-4; Matt 20:17-34; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2018-03-04
Galatians 6:2 NLT
Make yourself accountable to someone. Alcoholics Anonymous has a “buddy system” in which you are encouraged to call someone whenever you feel the pressure building to return to an old, destructive pattern. And it’s scriptural: “Share each other’s troubles” (v. 2 TLB). You may not like this step, but if you are fighting a losing battle you need it. Find someone who will check up on you, pray with you, and encourage you in areas where you want more self-control. “Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 GNT). Every church needs “buddy” relationships in which people are accountable to each other; relationships in which people encourage one another in the Lord. Having someone hold you accountable is tough, but it works. What should you look for in a “buddy”? First, they should be the same gender as you. You don’t need to place another temptation in your path by sharing personal problems with someone of the opposite s3x. Second, you should look for someone you can depend on to follow through on this commitment – someone who is faithful. Third, look for someone who will keep your problem confidential. Don’t choose someone who is known to talk too much. Fourth, tell your buddy that he or she has permission to check up on you from time to time and ask, “How are you doing with your problem?” Knowing that someone will be asking about your problem is an additional incentive not to give in to temptation. That may be the extra push you need to get you moving on the road to victory and self-control.
Soul food: Exo 20:16; Prov 24:28; Matt 5:33-37; Acts 5:1-11
2018-03-03
Philippians 4:13 NKJV
Start believing you can change. Your beliefs control your behavior. The way you think determines the way you feel. And when your feelings become strong enough, they determine the way you act. The person who says, “I can’t do it,” and the person who says, “I can do it,” are both right. Much of the time you set yourself up to be defeated by what you’re saying. Your words reinforce either your right or wrong belief system. Three times in First Peter, God reminds us to be clear minded and self-controlled. Why? Because a clear mind is essential to self-control. God gave us the power to change our habits when He gave us the power to choose our thoughts. Does Romans twelve verse two tell us to be transformed by working hard or by sheer willpower? No. What are we transformed by? The renewing of the mind. When your self-control is being tested, you need to fill your mind with the promises of God. Here’s one: “When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV). You must believe God when He says there’s “a way out” for you. Paul writes, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That means you can change, and you can be different. Stop setting yourself up for failure by constantly criticizing yourself: “I’m no good. I simply have no control over my life.” Nagging doesn’t work – on yourself or on anyone else! Instead say, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23 NIV). “And I believe.”
Soul food: 1 Kings 21-22; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
2018-03-02
Titus 2:11 NIV
Talk back to your feelings. We put far too much emphasis on our feelings. We think everything has to feel good or it’s not worthwhile. We say things like, “I don’t feel like studying…I don’t feel like working…I don’t feel like reading my Bible.” Or, “I feel like having another drink…I feel like sleeping until noon.” Don’t give your feelings so much authority. Feelings are highly unreliable; if you allow them, they will control and manipulate you. God doesn’t want you to be controlled by your feelings. He wants you to master your moods. With Christ as the Master of your life, you can master your feelings. Talk back to them. God says He wants you to learn how to challenge your emotions. “The grace of God…teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives” (vv. 11-12 NIV). God’s grace gives you the power to do what’s right. It gives you the ability to say no to that feeling, to that desire, to that impulse. Are you battling a weight problem? Before you ever walk into the kitchen and open the refrigerator door, you have already begun to talk to yourself about eating. If you are serious, you will have to challenge some of those subconscious attitudes about food. When you hear your mind saying, “I just have to have a snack or I’ll die,” you have to say, “No, I’m not going to die. In fact, I will be healthier if I don’t have a snack.” Bottom line: God’s supernatural power can help you to master your moods, thoughts, and desires.
Soul food: 1 Kings 18:16-20:43; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2018-03-01
Romans 14:4 NLT
Put your past behind you. “[This] one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining forward toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13 NIV). This Scripture exposes a misconception that will keep you from gaining self-control: Once a failure, always a failure! You may say, “Oh, I tried to quit my bad habit. In fact, I have tried over and over. I guess I’ll never be able to get control of this.” That is a misconception. Paul says, “We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:9 TLB). Have you watched a baby learning to walk? They fall down a lot, but they don’t stay down. They keep on trying, and ultimately they succeed. How far do you think they’d get if they just gave up and said, “Some people were meant to be walkers, and some were not”? Failure in the past does not mean that you will never be able to change. But focusing on past failures, however, does guarantee their repetition. It is like driving a car while looking in the rear-view mirror. You’re going to collide with what’s ahead of you. You have to put your past behind you. No one had more failures than Thomas Edison. Most of us would have given up, but not him. He once said, “Don’t call it a failure, call it an education! Now I know what doesn’t work!” When you realize sin doesn’t work, it’s a defining moment and your springboard to victory. A winner is simply someone who gets back up one more time than they fall down. So the word for you today is: “With the Lord’s help, [you] will stand.”
Soul food: 1 Kings 16:1-18:15; Matt 19:1-14; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2018-02-28
James 1:14 NKJV
For the next few days let’s look at how to develop self-control. Here’s the first step: Accept responsibility for your lack of self-control. Admit your problem. “A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which greatly attract him.” The main reason you do things – is because you like to! When you know something’s bad for you but you still do it, it’s because you want to. Sometimes we try to ignore the problem of self-control or deny it: “What problem? I don’t have a problem,” or “It’s just the way I am,” or “Everybody else is doing it.” Sometimes we blame others: “If I just had different parents,” or “The Devil made me do it.” As long as you waste your energy making excuses, you can’t make progress. James points out that we like to take the path of least resistance, and giving in to temptation is usually the easiest course. The starting point for developing self-control is to face what God has already said in His Word: “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34 NIV). Do you want more self-control? Then admit you have a problem, and be specific about it: “I have this problem. This is where I need help.” You may have a problem with food, drink, drugs, words, your temper, money, exercise, sex, TV, clothes, time – all these areas need self-control. So today get down on your knees and talk to God about the problem, believing that with His help you’ll be able to solve it.
Soul food: 1 Kings 14-15; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
