FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT-SELF CONTROL

And the best is last, but probably the hardest one. The verse I going with here is: 2 Cor4: 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

How does that apply you say? As well you should because this is going to be tricky.

First of all, being controlled begins in our minds. That because getting control begins there. And guess what God has provided for that too.

 

2Cor 10:4-6 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

So God gives us a way and indeed a command to take captive all those thoughts that lead to actions that are not of God. And how are we to accomplish that? Well as we are just allowing our mind to take flights of fancy and we see, hey, God wouldn like this, we stop ourselves and think about something else, like meditating on His word, or praying.

In Psalm 119 the Psalmist says: PS 119:14 I rejoice in following your statutes, as one rejoices in great riches. PS 119:15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Then see what he says in times of trouble PS 119:23 Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. PS 119:24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

So you can imagine a person could have reason to have mental sin in his thoughts when being slandered by rulers. Yet instead of entertaining thoughts of anger, and revenge this person takes captive his thoughts and meditates on God goodness.

When our body craves what it cannot have we can to take captive those thoughts and replace them with reminders on how God has always come through for us, to pray that He leads us out of temptation, and deliver us from evil.

Because we needn lose heart, we can be outwardly be wasting away, but our place in heaven where these and momentary troubles will no longer hold sway is assured!

Lord, I cannot always remember this when those light and momentary things seem momentous and monumental, Please deliver me from evil and lead me away from temptation. Help me to take captive my internal conversation to make it obedient to Christ. I know you will take care of my problems. I ask that you hide me under your feathers to keep me from the eyes of the evil one that seeks to destroy; and hold me close so I don desire to stray from your word.  In Jesus Name, Amen.