Have you ever noticed how awkward toddlers are when they are first learning to walk? The other day I watched a toddler, who was very tired, stagger around and stumble into a wall. Children at that age don’t have good balance because their muscles and nerves are learning to coordinate their movements. (They look a little like me getting out of bed in the mornings.) As time goes on, toddlers improve their walking skills. Then, they discover running, and parents are never the same.
That’s part of the natural development and growth of a child. The chilling fact is that all of us must keep learning and developing throughout life. Life is supposed to be a series of lessons and growth.
Even as adults, we have some area of our lives where we stumble around and run into walls-an area that we have not mastered or that we can’t control. This is sometimes referred to as “weaknesses.” This area is our Achilles’ heal-our vulnerability. If we want to be successful in life, we must try to get control over this weakness.
Different folks have different struggles, but some common areas of weakness are eating habits, speech habits, sexual habits, financial habits, emotional habits, thought habits, and work habits. Perhaps, you noticed your personal area of struggle in this list. If you did, please understand that you are not alone, because “no temptation has seized you, except what is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Godly self control (Galatians 5:22-23) is an important tool that God uses to help us overcome our weaknesses. This is not the same as personal willpower. Instead, godly self control is the Biblical idea of self-discipline or self-restraint under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit uses our faith and the truth of His Word to transform our minds, our willpower, and our lives into the spiritual image of Christ.
God knows our struggles with self control and He wants to help us. He sends His Spirit to give special help to those who are reborn in Christ. Moreover, He has given us many helpful instructions in His Word, the Bible. So, He stands ready to help, when we sincerely and humbly ask Him for it.
Godly self control helps us temper our thoughts, words, and actions, so that we don’t react foolishly to difficult situations. Through it, we can develop mastery over our sinful human nature, as godly self control influences our bodies, minds, emotions, self-wills, time, possessions, desires, and appetites. It helps us resist temptations, such as eating too much, drinking too much, working too much, playing too much, sleeping too much, and so forth. We can live a full and balanced life that is free of harmful excesses.
Let’s seek God’s help in any area of our lives that is out of control, so we can stop stumbling into walls.
Remember, God loves you and so do I.
Phil
Copyright © 2010 Philip Walter