I'm going to finish up the Beth Moore insights on self-control today.
Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12
The key to self-control is the refusal to allow our enemies(the flesh, the world, or satan) to rule or hold us captive in anyway. What does "self" have to do with the issue of control? Christ has given us the victory over our flesh, our world, and our accuser.
Only self can re-extend authority to one of these three enemies. They cannot presume authority over us. In the life of a believer, they can rule only where they are invited. Self makes the choice over the issue of control. The Spirit-led self holds the power of five key words: no, yes, not right now,
Self-control is as much about saying "yes" and "not right now" as it is about saying "no". Sometimes self-control is not about what but how much and not when but why. Self-control is an issue of mastery, of authority, of boundaries. (Beth Moore)
I like the concept of the five words, simple, yet powerful. When I thought about self-control, it was always linked to negativity. No, you can't do this, no you are denied this, ect. This puts it in a more positive light which is what Christ intended all along.
Sidebar: I went to CVS last night to pick up some eye drops. No, it wasn't ready even though I had called two hours earlier to confirm the pick-up time. Yes, I smiled as I waited! Rome wasn't built in a day, sometimes it takes one brick at a time!
1 comment:
One of the kids I had in Sunday School last year told me that his brother (who was six at the time!) defined self control as having the courage to do the things you know you're supposed to do and the strength to not do the things you're not supposed to do. I thought that was a pretty brilliant definition. Hey maybe you should write your own dictionary as well as blogging...you could put practical definitions in it like this!
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