A Fruit In SeasonSample

Self-Control

I intend to go to the gym at 5:30 A.M., but my pillow is so soft. I sit down to read a devotion, but I find myself on Facebook. A lack of self-control can harm both body and spirit.

An Olympian runner has an iron will. She beats her body into submission because she’s aiming for gold. She strives even though she knows her accomplishment is impermanent.

I am in a race toward a prize that will last forever: the crown of eternal life. But my race isn’t over. I need spiritual self-control to stay the course, to not be disqualified for the prize. The thing is, when it comes to self-control, I have two “selves” in me. My sinner self wanders from the course with dangerous indifference. My saint self runs in step with the Spirit. For as long as I live on earth, my inner sinner and saint will fight for control.

Can I win this race? Only with the Holy Spirit’s help. My personal (spiritual) trainer uses God’s Word to strip me of my indifference and to recharge my faith. He enables me to keep my eyes on the prize. “Fix your eyes on Jesus!” he urges. “Don’t lose heart. Don’t drop out. Christ has won the victory, and he has a crown of life for you.”

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

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