Self-control

“As the hard-fought Little League game was underway, the coach paused to say to one of his players, “Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?” The little boy nodded yes. “Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as a team?” The little boy nodded yes. “So,” the coach continued, “when a strike is called, or you are out at first, you don’t argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?” Again, the boy nodded yes. “Good,” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain it to your mother” (Michael Duduit, preaching.com).

Each of us, to one degree or another, has discovered that self-control is a difficult virtue to practice.  The heart of the problem lies in that little word that comes before the hyphen -- “self.”  Frankly, we normally do not like to limit or deny ourselves.  Left to our own devices, it’s difficult to say “no” or act and speak with restraint.  It’s like giving a convict the keys to the prison.  No one is surprised when they find the cell block empty.  Our default mode is do what we like, what pleases us, what is in our best interests.  And while doing things like this is not always wrong, far too often it leads to mistreatment of others.

Perhaps that is why Jesus linked following Him with self-denial (Luke 9:23).  Self-indulgence is an identifying mark of religious hypocrites (Matthew 23:25).  But it’s so hard to control ourselves, isn’t it?  Do you remember what frightened the Roman governor Felix when Paul spoke of faith in Christ?  Sandwiched right between the theological heavyweights of righteousness and the judgment to come was self-control (Acts 24:25).  Like Felix, maybe it scares us to contemplate what we need to control in our lives.

What part of my “self” needs controlling?  My thoughts?  My body?  My emotions?  My words?  My attitudes?  My reactions?  How about you?

God loves you!

Mike