self-control: One Year Bible Reading for October 21

 Today we read these verses in the One Year Bible:

Jeremiah 37:1-38:28
1 Timothy 6:1-21
Psalm 89:38-52
Proverbs 25:28 

Let's look at the proverb. It says that a person without self control is like a city whose walls have been destroyed and its enemies can rush in. That's a powerful image, isn't it?

Self-control is not a popular virtue today. People constantly brag that they have NO self-control. They give over their self control to drugs and alcohol. They find themselves addicted to porn or sitting on the couch watching reality TV all day. Nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. Nothing wrong with watching reality TV from time to time. Nothing wrong with sitting on your couch, obviously. But if we are going to accomplish anything worth doing in our lives, we need self-control. How can we control anything else - a family, a home, a business, any endeavor at all - if we can't even control ourselves?

Fortunately, we have help. Self-control is actually one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. What that means is, as we get closer to God and He makes us more and more like Him, He GIVES us self-control. It's part of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, making us more like Jesus, who had (and has) perfect self-control.

God, thanks for teaching us that You can help us with our self-control.