Control.....

Do you have battles every day? What is it like? Having an argument or misunderstanding with your workmate? Struggling financially to support your needs and other important things? Fighting your brother/ sister over simple things? Struggling in school? Struggling to handle workers that are difficult to manage? Or fighting your own self? In Gal. 5:22 stated the fruit of the spirit, and one of them is self-control. To control yourself is very difficult to achieve, commanding your physical body to wake up early in the morning, eating healthy food, losing weight, these activities require self-control or self-discipline. 1 Thess 4:4 control your own body, Controlling your thoughts not to think bad things, controlling your mouth not to talk painful words, and most especially controlling yourself not to fall into sin Gen 4:7 you must control sin. Five years ago, I met one of my closest non-believer friend from my previous employment. She asked me for advice because whenever she beat her child she couldn't stop herself, she lost her compassion, she lost her mind, she lost her control and she didn't stop beating him until she saw blood; but the bible says in Col 3:21 do not embitter your children, this action requires self-control. Sometimes we can't control our emotions and we give in to our anger which may result into sin. But there are great people in the bible who showed complete control of their emotions, In 1 Sam 24, David showed self-control even if Saul tried to kill him many times, but David did not reciprocate, David controlled his emotions and he trusted God will avenge. Second example, in Nehemiah ch4, Nehemiah acted calmly and with self-control even after knowing that the armies are nearby ready to attack them but he chose to be calm and self-controlled, knowing that the Lord will protect them from their enemies (Prov 16:32 better a patient person than a warrior). Sometimes in life, you need to consider that your choices will affect other people's mind, how they think, how they feel, how they react, if Nehemiah feared the enemy, then the people will also fear, and how can they fight when everybody is fearful? They will lose. On the other hand in Gen 25, Esau lost his control for giving up his birthright to his brother Jacob because he was famished but later on he regretted it. As to what pastor always tells us to do, to think ahead, we should think ahead of the consequences of our choices; then to be courageous or fear, to be calm or panic, to be happy or sad and in the middle of that choice, understand it is under your control, controlling your mind to do right or wrong. Our flesh desires evil, but the spirit desires good, so if you have a fight in your mind, you have the opportunity to control yourself, but how far can you fight your mind until you do the right thing? Are you even fighting? If there is no fight, there is no self-control at all, just giving in to sin. Sometimes we misunderstand battles, but through our battles, if we fight the good fight it produces self-control. Gal. 5:16 If we live by the spirit, we will do what is right.

MCC - CAA

13 Sivan 5782