Exercise Self Control?
Good Morning Girls! Yesterday I left you all with a Word: think clearly and exercise self control. In a way it was kind of a cruel April Fools joke don't you think? I mean, duh!, obviously if we had self control we wouldn't be in the position of needing to lose weight right? If we were able to eat one cookie and say "that was great" and walk away, chances are we wouldn't be carrying around the extra pound or two. If we didn't go to the pantry when we felt alone, angry, or anxious, we would be just fine. But for many of us, that is not the case. One cookie leads to 5. One moment of stress eating turns to a 1000 calorie binge. One meal at a restaurant leads to an appetizer, meal, and dessert....even though you have to unbutton your jeans half way through your meal! Think clearly...self control.....what's that? It seems overrated......
I used to claim to be the "Queen of Instant Gratification". If it felt good, I would do it. If it tasted good, I would eat it. If it brought relief from life, I would take part in it. I would laugh as I told my stories (even once I was born again) and joke about my lack of self control. I was "missing that gene" I would say. I thought it was a cute way of describing to others how I ended up in so many messes. I thought it was cute.....the Lord didn't. I clearly remember the day I told someone "I am the Queen of Instant Gratification", and the Holy Spirit said "no, you are not...and quit saying that!". Ouch! Now what? I had no cute line to excuse my excessive behavior! What was I gong to do? How was I going to explain why I did the things I did? Surely this was not fair.....it was not my fault I was created without the self control gene!
Well, come to find out, I was given the Spirit of self control......and so were all of you! It is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 6:22-23. There it is, in black and white. Staring at me in the face. I know I can't pick and choose what I want to believe in the Word. I either believe, or I don't. I can't just believe the I am saved, but not believe I have been given the other blessings! So now what? It says I have been given self control, yet I know as I know I struggle with it daily. How does that work?
Well lets go back to yesterdays verse: think clearly and exercise self control. Exercise? Exercise self control.......I looked up the word exercise in Websters. This is what it says: an act of employing or putting into play; use. Activity that requires physical or mental exertion. In other words, self control is not something that just happens. Just because we have the ability to be self controlled does not mean there is no action required of us in order to exhibit it! According to the definition of exercise, in order to exhibit our self control we need to 1.act on it 2. put it into play 3. use it! It is more of an action that requires physical and mental exertion at times! You may need to physically leave the situation. You may need to mentally process what the outcome of your actions will be. You may need to stop and confess scripture when faced with the impulse to act in a manner that is contrary to your desired goals. It is a conscious activity. It doesn't "just happen".
The good news is, after you have been repeatedly faced with the opportunity to exercise your self control, it will come more naturally. You won't have to stare at the pan of brownies fighting with yourself as you put into play, using, and exerting your mental energy to say no. After a while, your self control will have developed strength and muscle. It will be able to carry you through more situations. You will have self control endurance and stamina. You will have whipped your self control into shape. And once your there, every single treat will not seem like an exhausting obstacle to overcome. Saying no thank you will be your new automatic response! Until that time comes confess today's verse the next time a pan of brownies tries to tempt you!
2 Timothy 1:7 for God did not give me a Spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self control!
Love you all-
Jen
I used to claim to be the "Queen of Instant Gratification". If it felt good, I would do it. If it tasted good, I would eat it. If it brought relief from life, I would take part in it. I would laugh as I told my stories (even once I was born again) and joke about my lack of self control. I was "missing that gene" I would say. I thought it was a cute way of describing to others how I ended up in so many messes. I thought it was cute.....the Lord didn't. I clearly remember the day I told someone "I am the Queen of Instant Gratification", and the Holy Spirit said "no, you are not...and quit saying that!". Ouch! Now what? I had no cute line to excuse my excessive behavior! What was I gong to do? How was I going to explain why I did the things I did? Surely this was not fair.....it was not my fault I was created without the self control gene!
Well, come to find out, I was given the Spirit of self control......and so were all of you! It is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 6:22-23. There it is, in black and white. Staring at me in the face. I know I can't pick and choose what I want to believe in the Word. I either believe, or I don't. I can't just believe the I am saved, but not believe I have been given the other blessings! So now what? It says I have been given self control, yet I know as I know I struggle with it daily. How does that work?
Well lets go back to yesterdays verse: think clearly and exercise self control. Exercise? Exercise self control.......I looked up the word exercise in Websters. This is what it says: an act of employing or putting into play; use. Activity that requires physical or mental exertion. In other words, self control is not something that just happens. Just because we have the ability to be self controlled does not mean there is no action required of us in order to exhibit it! According to the definition of exercise, in order to exhibit our self control we need to 1.act on it 2. put it into play 3. use it! It is more of an action that requires physical and mental exertion at times! You may need to physically leave the situation. You may need to mentally process what the outcome of your actions will be. You may need to stop and confess scripture when faced with the impulse to act in a manner that is contrary to your desired goals. It is a conscious activity. It doesn't "just happen".
The good news is, after you have been repeatedly faced with the opportunity to exercise your self control, it will come more naturally. You won't have to stare at the pan of brownies fighting with yourself as you put into play, using, and exerting your mental energy to say no. After a while, your self control will have developed strength and muscle. It will be able to carry you through more situations. You will have self control endurance and stamina. You will have whipped your self control into shape. And once your there, every single treat will not seem like an exhausting obstacle to overcome. Saying no thank you will be your new automatic response! Until that time comes confess today's verse the next time a pan of brownies tries to tempt you!
2 Timothy 1:7 for God did not give me a Spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self control!
Love you all-
Jen
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