Titus 2:11-12
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…”
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Today, we wrap up our series on the
fruits of the spirit. Self-control,
which we began talking about yesterday, often seems the most elusive of the
fruits. Part of the reason for this is
that it is easier to spot a lack of self-control than it is to spot someone
exercising self-control. This is
especially true of ourselves. We tend to focus way more on our failures to
control ourselves than our successes.
When we let that unkind word slip out, when we eat the second piece of
cake, and when we give in to our addiction, we beat ourselves up way more than
we celebrate our practice of restraint or following through with our
intention. When we do this, we violate
an important principle of human behavior;
what you focus on, you get more of.
If all a child ever hears is “Don’t
do _________,” the child will exhibit
more and more negative behavior. If you
are trying to beat an addiction and your constant internal self-talk is “don’t
take that drink,” your brain will
actually be more compelled to take that drink.
If you only give attention to failure, you will get more failure.
So try something different. Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to
happen, focus on the good that is already happening. My guess is that if you were to count the
times you actually made a solid choice each day, they would vastly outnumber
the mistakes. I’m pretty sure this is
true for almost all of us because the people who make bad choices all day every
day don’t read a daily devotional. They
don’t even read much. They have no
regard for scripture. They have never
attended a church service, online or not.
I’ve just pointed out a few good decisions that most of you made
today. My guess is that if you were
looking for them, you could find dozens more.
That is the fruit of self control.
When you notice that fruit, focus
on building on that. Small steps. Every day. Over week, months, and years. As Eugene Peterson’s epic book suggests, it’s
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.
That’s how self-control develops, or more accurately, how it IS
DEVELOPED in us.
Prayer: God, help us
see the self-control you have already developed in us so that we see the foundation
for our next steps. Amen
Prayer Focus: Ask God
to show you positive behavior in yourself and others.
Song: I have to bring
this one back for the last day of Fruits of the Spirit.
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