Tag Archives: self control

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get Fit

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Joyce meyer

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. —2 Timothy 1:7

“Every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things” (1 Corinthians 9:25, emphasis mine). That word all is a difficult concept for us to grasp.

We need to live a disciplined life, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, if we want to enjoy God’s plan for us. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control, and the fruit of the flesh is no control.

Paul said, “I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become un.t [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Self-Control Is Better

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“It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to have self-control than to control an army” (Proverbs 16:32).

You and I know from experience that it is not easy to discipline our emotions, our passions or our self-will. In fact, apart from God’s help, it is an impossibility.

A lustful person who does not control his thoughts quenches and grieves the Spirit.

An overweight person, because he cannot control his appetite, quenches and grieves the Spirit.

A Christian who places undue emphasis on material possessions quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit.

A gossip who cannot control his tongue quenches and grieves the Spirit.

A husband, wife, or child who fails to live according to the commands of Ephesians chapter 5 quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit.

A student who fails to study adequately because of poor discipline quenches and grieves the Spirit.

Many pages would be required to list all the ways in which lack of self-control quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit.

The spirit, mind and body are the three aspects of our being over which we are told to practice self-control.

What is man’s spirit?

It is his immaterial being – man without his body, if you will. The Bible gives many characteristics of the spirit of man. It is that which communicates with the Spirit of God.

Man’s spirit is the center of emotions (1 Kings 21:5), the source of passions (Ezekiel 3:14) and the seat of volition or exercise of the will (Proverbs 16:32). Our spirit is subject to divine influence while housed in our mortal body (Deuteronomy 2:30 and Isaiah 19:14), and leaves the body at the time of physical death (Ecclesiastics 12:7 and James 2:26).

Bible Reading: Proverbs 15:1-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  Drawing upon this enabling power of the Holy Spirit, I will practice the vital discipline of self-control.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – When He’s in Control

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“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us:…self-control” (Galatians 5:22,23).

Sue insisted that she was Spirit-filled, and she frequently challenged others to be filled with the Spirit. But there was no evidence that the Holy Spirit was in control of her life, because she was completely undisciplined in everything she did. She knew nothing about self-control. She knew all about the Holy Spirit, in her mind, but there was no evidence that He was in her life – and in control of her life.

Dr. Henrietta Mears, as director of Christian education at the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, had one of the greatest spiritual ministries of her time. Hundreds of young men and women became church members and missionaries under her influence. She lived in a palatial home, owned priceless antiques and dressed beautifully. Most people assumed that she was a woman of great wealth. Actually, she was a person of relatively modest means. She simply knew how to take her regular salary, a modest inheritance, plus savings, and maximize them for God’s glory.

For example, she would advise young people, “Do not eat in expensive restaurants where you spend excessively except on rare occasions. Instead, prepare your own lunch, and over a period of a year you can save enough money by not eating out to take a trip around the world and enrich your spirit, your soul and your cultural sensitivities. Or you can use the money you save to buy something which will enhance the beauty of your home or person.”

We see disciplined people all around us in the world. Athletes discipline themselves to strict training, soldiers are drilled in military discipline, artists and writers are disciplined to sharpen their talents through dedicated practice. On the other hand, we also see examples of a lack of discipline in the lives of many people around us.

Whether a person is a Christian or a non-believer, the development of self-control as a quality of character seems to be difficult for most people. Yet we are told in the Bible that the Spirit-filled Christian will exhibit self- control as a part of the fruit of the Spirit.

Bible Reading: I Chronicles 28:9-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I acknowledge that to walk in the fullness and control of the Holy Spirit will enable me to demonstrate a life of discipline and self-control. Therefore, by faith, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I shall live a life of discipline and self-control for the glory of God. Self- control is essential for supernatural living.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Putting Off Procrastination

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Charles Stanley

Acts 24:24-27

Some people like to say that they are “born procrastinators.” According to Scripture, that is impossible for believers. Procrastination can be a form of bondage in a person’s life, and the Lord, who wants the best for His followers, didn’t design us to be enslaved.

Procrastination has several common causes. The first is an attempt to dodge discomfort. Many people put off taking action because they feel uncomfortable or anxious about the ramifications. In today’s passage, Felix sends Paul away, fearing the apostle’s talk about righteousness, self-control, and judgment.

This can show up in our spiritual life— we sometimes delay Bible reading and meditating because we are afraid God will bring to the surface a matter we need to confront. Then, if such a subject comes up, we often choose to procrastinate about dealing with it. Issues like pride, self-control, or guilt may not be comfortable to face, but dodging them obstructs God’s purpose in our life.

The second cause for putting things off is self-doubt. Those who consider themselves inadequate to complete a task may choose not to begin it. Related to this is another factor: fear of making a mistake or failing in an endeavor can make postponement seem preferable.

Procrastination is no laughing matter, particularly in the spiritual realm since delaying on an assignment from God is the same as disobeying Him. Are you prone to delay? Identify problem areas and the feelings that accompany them. Then confess your tendency, and rely on God’s strength to overcome it.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God’s Timing

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Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.—Psalm 127:1

During the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, people thought He was crazy. His own brothers were embarrassed by Him, and in an effort to save their reputation they told Him He needed to go somewhere else and do His works. If He was unwilling to do that, they told Him to take action and stop doing His works in secret. They tried to convince Him it was time to show Himself and His works to the world. They wanted Jesus to impress the people with what He could do.

He responded to them by saying, “My time (opportunity) has not come yet” (John 7:6).

How many of us could show that type of self-control? If you could do the miracles that He could do and were being made fun of and challenged to show your stuff, what would you do? Would you wait until you absolutely knew that it was the right time sanctioned by God?

It is good to have plans, and I believe we should plan boldly and aggressively, but we must be wise enough to know that our plans will ultimately fail without God. We must learn to wait for God’s plans to develop. True boldness moves in God’s timing.

Lord, I want to have a plan for my life

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Develop Self-control

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Joyce meyer

He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. Proverbs 25:28

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (See Galatians 5:22–23). It develops as we spend time fellowshipping with God and practicing obedience to Him. Sometimes we would rather that God control us and make us do the right thing. But He wants us to rule over our spirit.

Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city.” It takes self-control not to get offended, not to become angry every time somebody doesn’t do something the way we want it done. Self-control is needed over our thoughts, our words, and our appetites. But once we master our own spirit, we are considered to be powerful in the eyes of God—stronger than one who takes a city.