S E L F – C O N T R O L

I Corinthians 9:25

What would it be like to compete for something that will not tarnish on your bookshelf?  All my trophies are collecting dust and fading in their importance. What would be a prize worth striving for that never fades, but requires great effort and concentration of will to achieve?   The Bible speaks of such a prize.

In Paul's first letter to his friends in Corinth at chapter 9 and verse 25 it says, “And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.”  We all need some self-control.

Some of us need self-control over our tongues, for others it's with our tempers, with others it's our appetites or our time or study habits or something else.

Why is self-control so important?  It keeps us from living our lives in an out of control way and from losing focus on the most important matters of life.  Without some self-control our lives would resemble a skidding car headed for the ditch and a horrible crash.

The writer spoke of competing for a prize.  In today's competition you'll be pursuing a prize and it will require self-control for you to maximize your gifts and abilities toward the goal of winning the contest. 

Pray for the fruit of self-control to be evident in your life today and approach the field of competition with great confidence in its presence.  Let's compete in such a way that leads to winning prizes, both perishable and eternal.

Bible Reading Plan:
Matthew 10:21-42
Acts 15:22-41
Psalms 24
Exodus 1-3