Self Control

Quit fighting!  Stop yelling!  I can almost see the little kid, with their hands over their ears and their eyes tightly shut trying to scream the plea over all the noise.  For some it is not hard to imagine that kind of noise in their world.  The constant conflict, the perpetual noise of small battles being waged in the confines of the home, and the fleeting reality of ever feeling at peace.

That is in some ways what I feel every time I turn on the news or scroll through Facebook.  There is so much destructive noise in our world.  I wish they would all just stop fighting and screaming and demanding their way!

I am sure many share my feelings on this, but it goes deeper than our feelings.  If we allow ourselves to get used to toxic behavior, we will imitate toxic behavior.  Every spirit of the enemy seeks to lure us into the drama of unrest so that we too lose the wonderful gift of peace that comes from our relationship with Jesus.  

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:5 to be meek.  The word does not mean weak, it actually calls us to great strength.  It calls us to self-control!  Only the strongest can accomplish this and only in the power of the Holy Spirit is it found.  Jesus’ restraint on the cross is a great example of this self-control.  His ability to not give into His feelings in a moment like that shows us His power.  His eyes were fixed on something greater than His ego.  They were locked on our salvation!

Self-control is a gift that comes with acceptance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Just as He called out to a storm on a lake and calmed it immediately, He has the power to quiet the storms and drama in our lives.  

So next time you feel like crying out to the battling voices in your life, start by crying out to the Holy Spirit to give you the control you need to turn it off, tune it out, or just to plow through it.  He promised that He would.