We need more control...

Like you, I am saddened by the tragic event that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I feel for the families and the community. I feel for the pastors in that area who might be "expected" to have answers - but there aren't any easy ones.

I know the government is now talking about more stringent gun control. I do not own a gun, so I don't really know. But maybe instead of focusing on "gun control" to avert this from happening again, we would do well to focus more on "self-control".

Here are some verses that come to mind:

Proverbs 25:28 (NIV) Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV) For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Proverbs 16:32 (NLT) It is better to be patient than powerful; it is better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

Go On

One of the newer television shows that I like to watch is called "Go On". Matthew Perry stars as Ryan King, a radio sportscaster trying to move on from the loss of his wife. His boss, Stephen, makes him attend grief-counseling where he reluctantly joins a support group of misfits who end up becoming his best friends. Even though they all have their own unique set of issues, Ryan eventually learns to love them. He not only shares his life with them, but walks alongside them in their life as well.

Reminds me of how the church is to be...

Dealing with Divisions by Giving Thanks

On Sunday I preached about how to deal with divisions. You can hear the message by clicking here. The apostle Paul began his letter to the people of Corinth with giving thanks. 1Corinthians 1:4 says, "I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus".

With this week being Thanksgiving, I thought of another way we can deal with divisions and that is to focus on being thankful. Try it. When you are in a bad attitude or are tempted to be critical toward someone, stop and thank God for them. Recognize that even though they don't see it your way, God has still created them in His image, too. Yet, we are not all the same. Think how boring life would be if we were all the same. By focusing on giving thanks, it will change our attitude. It will help us to elevate the conversation to see what's really important.

Here's a short list of who/what I'm thankful for:

1. A Savior who came at just the right time and died for me while I was still a sinner.
2. A loving, patient, and supportive spouse.
3. A son who is growing into a godly man.
4. A daughter who is as beautiful and caring as her mother.
5. A church where the Spirit of God is at work.
6. A leadership team of Elders who are prayerful, supportive, and serve with humility.
7. A community of faith that truly cares for one another in so many ways.

Bridging the Gap Between Pastors and Business Leaders

 There seems to be something going on in the Mennonite church—and I like it. Pastors and Business Leaders are talking. I have a great passion for these two groups to connect. I believe the real work of ministry doesn’t just happen on Sunday. It takes place Monday through Friday when Christian businesspeople have opportunity to interact with their co-workers, customers, and community. It’s been said that “Church begins on Monday” so how can the church empower and better equip those to do the work of ministry? (See Ephesians 4:12). Both pastors and business leaders need to recognize that we are in the same business – the “people business.” You can read my complete article by clicking here

An Event to Remember

It was an historic event. No, I'm not talking about the election. I'm talking about our first-ever Election Day Communion Service last night. What a powerful reminder that amidst all of the divided political noise, we could gather in reverence, silence and unity while fellowshipping at the Lord's table.

Last night, as the world turned its attention to who would occupy the most powerful office in this world, hundreds of churches gathered across the United States to worship a servant.
As votes were counted to elect a president, thousands of Christians took the bread and the cup to remember their crucified Lord.

As winners were projected and the electoral map updated, Christians of many denominations sang their praises and proclaimed their loyalty to Jesus.

The Election Day Communion Campaign was started out of a concern that Christians in the United States are being shaped more by the tactics and ideologies of political parties than by our identity and unity in Christ. The practice of Communion is an inherently political act. It is both a pledge of allegiance to Jesus and a declaration of independence from all other powers making claims on our bodies, minds and souls. Too often the church has abandoned its first love for political parties promising protection, prosperity and peace.

 

May we continue to vote each and every day for Jesus in the ways we live, think, act, and serve.

(excerpts from Mark Schloneger - pastor of North Goshen Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana.
Special to CNN)

Election Day Communion

I recently read a blog that quoted Psalm 9:20. I'd like to share it here:

"Let the nations know that they are only human” (NRSV). Psalm 9 affirms God’s supreme authority over the earth and the righteousness of his judgments. In this election year, we need this reminder: every nation—even our own—is only human.


Our hope isn’t in America, but in the kingdom of God.  Our salvation does not come from Barack Obama or Mitt Romney or any other human being, but from Jesus Christ.  America at its best and at its worst is still human, earthly, and fallen.

Whether you plan to vote or not, also plan on affirming your highest allegiance, and remembering the true source of our freedom and life by receiving communion (the Lord’s Supper) with other Christians in our congregation.  Our church will participate in a wonderful event simply called “Election Day Communion” (check it out at http://electiondaycommunion.org/).

We will gather at 7:00 pm that evening.  In our midst will be those who voted one way and those who voted another and those who didn’t vote at all.  And in a decisive act of unity we will gather around the table of our Lord to gratefully receive his gifts and joyfully celebrate our common faith. While others nervously watch the election results on TV, we’ll peacefully remember that there is but one King who sits enthroned above all rulers and nations, but one Savior and Lord of all, Jesus Christ. And we will worship him, and him alone shall we serve.

I hope you’ll join us for this communion service on election day.  And until then, I hope you’ll remember that our nation is only human, and no politician or political party can save us.  And I pray you’ll fix your gaze on Jesus, who alone is the source of our present life and our future hope.

A good quote

“We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing.”

― Henry Cloud author of "Boundaries"

What a Pastor Needs...

LifeWay recently conducted a national study of 1,000 Protestant pastors. Here's what they found:

Pastors feel privileged to be called to their places of ministry. They have a deep love for those they shepherd. Most of them could not conceive of doing anything else. But, many pastors are hurting.

One of the key symptoms of the pain experienced by pastors is discouragement. Over one-half (55%) of pastors are presently discouraged.Some interesting facts discovered in the study:

• There was no pattern of discouragement related to the geographical location of the church.
• There was no pattern of discouragement related to the size of the church.
• There was no pattern of discouragement related to the educational level of the pastor.
• There was a significant pattern of discouragement related to the age of the pastor. The younger the pastor, the more likely he was to be discouraged.

Most pastors experience intense loneliness at times. The survey noted that over one-half again (coincidentally the same number, 55%, as noted above) said they were lonely.Which pastors experience the greatest amount of loneliness? 

• There was no pattern of loneliness related to the geographical location of the church.
• Younger pastors were more likely to be lonely than older pastors.
• The larger the church, the greater the likelihood that the pastor was experiencing loneliness.
• The greater the education level of the pastor, the more likely he is to be lonely.

Why the Pervasive Discouragement and Loneliness? Here are some possible reasons:

• Spiritual warfare. The Enemy does not want God’s servants to be effective in ministry. He will do whatever it takes to hurt ministers and their ministries.
• Unrealistic expectations. The expectations and demands upon a pastor are enormous. They are unrealistic. But if one person’s expectations are not met, that person can quickly let the pastor know that he is a failure.
• Greater platforms for critics. In “the good old days,” a critic was typically limited to telephone, mail, and in-person meetings to criticize a minister. Today the critics have the visible and pervasive platforms of email, blogs, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Failure to take time away from the church or place of ministry. Workaholism leads to burnout. Burnout leads to depression.
• Marriage and family problems. Too often the pastor neglects his family as he cares for the larger church family.
• Financial strains. Many pastors simply do not have sufficient income from the churches they serve. That financial stress can lead to depression. Some pastors do not know how to manage the money they do have, leading to further financial strain.
• The problem of comparison. Every pastor will always know of a church that is larger and more effective. Every pastor will always know of another pastor who seems more successful. The comparison game can be debilitating to some pastors.

One thing that every pastor needs more than ever is prayer. They need support and encouragement.

Without prayers and encouragement, I know I would not be able to stay in the battle. So, thank you to all who pray without ceasing!

Faithful, Not Famous

I would guess that many pastors are tempted to be a "people-pleaser". I know I am. You naturally want people to like you, but being in ministry isn't a popularity contest.  Ezekiel faced this same situation. 

Ezekiel 33:30-32 says, "Son of man, your people are whispering behind your back. They talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors, saying, `Come on, let's have some fun! Let's go hear the prophet tell us what the LORD is saying!' So they come pretending to be sincere and sit before you listening. But they have no intention of doing what I tell them. They express love with their mouths, but their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don't do it!"

The exiles admired Ezekiel for his preaching, but they did not put into practice what he told them. They did not apply it to their own lives and change, but he preached it anyway. Godly leaders “perform” for an audience of One. 

It is also tempting to try harder and think you are doing something wrong when you look at how other churches are "doing it"; or how mega-churches just keep getting bigger. A recent article I read says that worshippers are getting a spiritual "high" that keeps them coming back for more. 

What this boils down to is, "How do I define success in ministry?" Is it all about the numbers? Mother Theresa’s perspective helps me to stay grounded in the deepest truth about what success really is; it rescues me from my own inner strivings when I need rescuing. She says,

I was never called to be successful;
I was called to be faithful
and in my striving to be faithful
my life will be fruitful
and because it is fruitful
you could say I am successful.”

Are you a NOMOPHOBIAC?

Do you feel anxious when your cellphone isn't nearby? Do you worry about losing your cellphone? Do you always need to keep your cellphone on? Do you obsessively check missed calls, emails, and texts? Are you one of those people who walk around with a bluetooth ear plug? If so, you may suffer from nomophobia, the fear of being without a working cellphone. The term, which is derived from no mobile phone, was first coined in 2008 by the U.K. Post Office. Research studies have revealed the following stats about nomophobia:

• People check their cellphones an average of 34 times per day.
• 66 percent of people fear losing or being without their cell phones.
• 75 percent of people use their cellphones in the bathroom. (Multi-tasking, I guess!)
• About 30 percent of people would rather leave the house without a credit card or cash than their mobile phones.
• 55 percent of women would rather leave home without makeup.
• 11 percent of respondents with would rather leave home without pants than their smartphones. (That doesn't sound very "smart" to me)
• 63 percent said they would climb through trash to find a lost cellphone. (yuck)
• 25 percent said they would physically fight a thief to get their phone back.
• 40 percent said they would start to miss their phone in less than an hour.

Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: Deborah Netburn, "Nomophobia—fear of being without your phone—is on the rise," Los Angeles Times (2-17-12); Samantha Murphy, "Are You Afraid of Phone Separation?" Mashable (7-13-12)

Spreading THE Good News

There is alot of bad news in the world today, but there is also good news. In fact there is a website that has nothing but good news stories on it daily. It is called "Happy News". They report on uplifting and positive stories from around the world. We all need a good dose of good news every day - but that's not good enough...

As followers of Christ, we believe that the church has the best news in all the world, the real GOOD NEWS and that good news is: 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. 2 And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.  

We believe that the mission of the church is to proclaim the Good News and to be a sign of the kingdom of God. Christ has commissioned the church to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things he has commanded. This is Article 10 in our Confession of Faith.

Here's THE good news in a nutshell: "God loves you. He isn’t mad at you. Jesus died for you because sin is destroying your life. God loves you so much he has saved you from everything that is destroying you. So why should you keep on living as though this unpredictable and unforgiving world is all you’ve got? Why don’t you come and start experiencing God’s love and enjoying the blessings of his kingdom? You already belong to him. He made you. He’s already paid for your sins. What are you waiting for? He’ll turn your sorrow into joy, your pain into purpose. He’ll give you peace like you've never known. He’ll bring meaning to your life. He’ll help you reconcile your relationships. He’ll give you rest. Trust him. He’s waiting for you."

A Life Where Christ is King

In this post I would like to share an article written by Fred Liggin concerning the shootings in Aurora, CO.

We are shaken by mourning as we hurt for those suffering due to the horrific events in Aurora Colorado on July 20.  And I am reminded of a most sobering reality.

No government, regardless of how strong or well-meaning can thoroughly legislate morality. To be sure, it can create laws that limit behaviors destructive to society (“You shall not steal”). But as a Christ-follower I am led to believe that what will bring lasting and systemic change is Jesus (“You shall have no other gods before Me”); by how He lived–bringing peace through a life of sacrificial love that paves the way toward a humanity invited to live for a cause greater than self. His life gives breadth and depth to both how and why He died and was risen. It is His life, death, resurrection and ascension as Lord that makes possible eternal realities in our present world; God’s love, righteousness and peace, indeed God Himself, accessible to all of humanity in tangible ways. It makes these eternal realities present because it is a life that follows Jesus as Lord out of hatred into sacrificial love; out of violence into peace; out of judgment into mercy; out of darkness into light. Jesus as Lord and Creator shows us what kind of life really works when God is King.

The events of July 20 remind us that there is too much godless, dehumanizing, hatred and injustice in the world filled with lost hearts for Christ-followers to lose this focus. Too much is at stake to be tangled up in various debates. If Jesus truly is King of kings and the only hope for the world, we must live like it as everyday people in every day places in every day ways. As Christ-followers our lives must be the proof of our theology. Not just our words or persuasive arguments. For what cannot be up for debate is that “faith without works is dead” and the world will know us by our love. (James 2:14-26; John 13:35).

So we must go. Go into the public square, the city streets, the cubicle next to yours, your neighbor’s house, your child’s bedroom, and tell the story of the One who brought peace through sacrificial love, and not through violence. Offer them Jesus the Son of God and Son of Man, not just a plan. If Christ-followers want lasting change in this present world, then we must tell His story because only it can shine a light on where true hope, restoration, redemption and salvation is found.

May His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. And may God’s comfort be known in the hearts of those suffering due to the brokenness and depravity of this rebellious world.

The Difference

There is a lot of talk about the difference between "religion" and relationship". I grew up in a church that focused much more on religion than relationship. It was all about following the rules. Many of you have been there. If you talked about having a relationship with God, it was seen as weak. That wasn't enough. It couldn't be that easy. You had to do something in order to gauge how "Christian" you really were in comparison to others. It was "salvation through moral effort". That seems to be what Isaiah is saying about the people of Jerusalem.  

Isaiah 29:13 says, “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote".

Religion doesn't engage the heart, but relationship does. Just going through the motions of "going to church, praying, giving money, teaching Sunday school, etc" can't earn a special place in God's heart. We already have it because of what Christ first did for us.

In Timothy Keller's book, The Reason for God, he says, "Self-salvation through good works may produce a great deal of moral behavior in your life, but inside you are filled with self-righteousness...you are miserable. You need a complete transformation of the very motives of your heart". Keller is saying that as long as we focus on the outside rules, we will never experience the internal change from the free grace that God offers. "Religion operates on the principle "I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of a grace-filled relationship with God is "I am accepted by through what Christ has done - therefore I obey", says Keller.

Following the rules might make a difference for awhile, but following Christ and having that relationship based on what He has done will make a difference for eternity!

A Bold Prayer of Contentment

Our reading for today is from Proverbs 30 written by a guy named Agur. Not much is said about him, but he obviously has the gift of wisdom. I was especially struck by verses 8 and 9 this morning:

"First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.  

I'm not sure I've ever prayed this kind of prayer (give me neither poverty nor riches). I take that back; I have prayed that God would not give me poverty, but I've never prayed that God would NOT give me riches. In fact, I can't help but think of Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof":

Tevye: Again with the rich. What is wrong with being rich?

Perchik: It's no reason to marry. Money is the world's curse. 
Tevye: May the Lord smite me with it. And may I never recover.

Agur states the reason for praying such a bold prayer. It is so he would not forget who the LORD is. If he were to be rich, he would rely on his riches instead of God. If he were poor, he would rely on himself to provide by stealing. He simply asks God to provide what he NEEDS. That's it.

Sounds like another prayer we all know well:

Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

I guess if it was good enough for Agur and Jesus, then I should be doing it too. How about you?

Anybody got a rag?

Ever get frustrated with imperfect people? I do all the time! Mainly, because I am one. We all are. Here is how to deal with that, according to Jesus. 

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."

This is from Matthew 7:1-5 in The Message translation.

Making fun of a bald guy?

As a bald guy, one of my "favorite" stories in the Old Testament is 2Kings 2:23-25. A group of youth calls Elisha the prophet, "Baldy" and he curses them. Just then two bears come out of the woods and mauls 42 of them. But as strange as this story is, there is a point.

What follows is an explanation I read in one of my many commentaries. Unfortunately, I can't remember which one.

There are a few key issues we must understand in regards to this account of the youths cursing Elisha. The text reads, “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ they said. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.” It seems unbelievable that God would cause two bears to maul a group of children for making fun of a man for being bald.

First, the King James Version has done us a disservice by translated the term as “children.” The Hebrew word can refer to “children,” but rather more specifically means "young men." The NIV, quoted here, uses the word “youths.” Second, the fact that the bears mauled 42 of the youths indicates that there were more than 42 youths involved. This was not a small group of children making fun of a bald man. Rather, it was a large demonstration of young men who assembled for the purpose of mocking a prophet of God. Third, the mocking of “go on up you baldhead,” is more than making fun of baldness. The baldness of Elisha referred to here may be: 1) natural loss of hair; 2) a shaved head denoting his separation to the prophetic office; or more likely, 3) an epithet of scorn and contempt, Elijah not being literally bald. The phrase “go up” likely was a reference to Elijah, Elisha’s mentor, being taken up to Heaven earlier in 2 Kings chapter 2:11-12. These youths were sarcastically taunting and insulting the Lord’s prophet by telling him to repeat Elijah’s translation.

In summary, 2 Kings 2:23-24 is not an account of God mauling young children for making fun of a bald man. Rather, it is a record of an insulting demonstration against God’s prophet by a large group of young men. Because these young people of about 20 years of age or older (the same term is used of Solomon in 1 Kings 3:7) so despised the prophet of the Lord, Elisha called upon the Lord to deal with the rebels as He saw fit. The Lord’s punishment was the mauling of 42 of them by two female bears. The penalty was clearly justified, for to ridicule Elisha was to ridicule the Lord Himself. The seriousness of the crime was indicated by the seriousness of the punishment. The appalling judgment was God’s warning to all who would scorn the prophets of the Lord.

Get Away

In 1Kings 19 there is an interesting story about the prophet Elijah. He has just come off a series of "successes" in ministry. (He revived the widow's son, made a laughing stock out of the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, caused it to downpour, and supernaturally outran Ahab's chariot back to Jezreel). You would think that he would ride this high for quite awhile, right? WRONG!

King Ahab's wife, Jezebel is out to get him. There is a death note on his head so he flees for his life by going into the wilderness alone. He finds a tree to sit under and tells God that he is finished - done. He's had enough. "Take my life for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died", he says. But God doesn't buy it. God sends an angel to feed him, (twice) because he will need this nourishment to travel the next 40 days and nights to the mountain of God. Here, Elijah continues to lay out his complaint: "I have zealously served you, but the people have broken your covenant. I am the only one left," he says. God's response seems odd.

God tells Elijah to stand before him on the mountain as God sends a mighty windstorm, earthquake, and fire. God is not there, until...there is the sound of a gentle whisper. Hmmm....

Elijah was probably like many pastors who have experienced great success at various times in ministry. We like the successes. We like to preach a great sermon that will "revive" people. We like to be successful when it comes to making a "laughing stock" out of false gods. We may think we can "outrun" others who are in this Christian journey. We might even have to remind God that we have been zealously seeking Him while others have not. When we think like this it tells us that we have allowed ministry to be about us and not God.

Like Elijah, we need to step back, get away, and journey to the mountain of God for some spiritual nourishment and refreshment. We need God to remind us that He is not always in the windstorm, earthquake or fire but often in the still, small voice. It's too easy to get caught up in the fireworks of doing ministry and begin to feel that "you" are something great. As you taste success, it is also easy to begin looking down on others for not being as zealous as you are.

Here's what happens next for Elijah: God tells him to go find Elisha and "anoint him to replace Elijah as God's prophet." Was it because of Elijah's complaining that God decided to replace him? I don't think so. After Elijah had been with God on the mountain and was refreshed, God intended for him to equip and empower a co-worker to continue the work. He was to be a kind of mentor to Elisha. Remember how, just before Elijah is taken away, Elisha asks for a double-measure of his spirit? I think Elijah had been so spiritually revived by spending time with God and had gotten himself realigned with God's purpose for his life that he had much more to now give.

So the lesson is: Remember that ministry is always about God, not me. Yes, God does many wonderful, miraculous things, but more often than not, these happen in a gentle whisper. In order to hear God, we have to take time to be alone with Him, to be renewed in strength and purpose. We may feel alone oftentimes, but the truth is, we aren't. God is always there; we just may not recognize His quiet presence.

Are you "IN" or "OUT"?

I'm talking about "control". This past Sunday I preached on the need to exercise self-control in all areas of life. This is such an important topic, I thought I would share some of my sermon notes from that message. 

According to USA Today, The soaring national debt is now as big as the entire U.S. economy topping $15.23 trillion. The American Heart Association says that among children ages 2–19, about 1 in 6 are obese. And among Americans age 20 and older, 149.3 million are overweight or obese. The total cost related to this is estimated to be $254 billion and could reach $957 billion by 2030, if the trend continues.The CDC found that more than 38 million Americans binge drink four times a month—consuming an average of eight drinks each time. And it’s not just young adults. Those 65 and older reportedly binge drink five to six times a month. Over-consumption of alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death, with more than 80,000 fatalities in the United States each year. SafeFamiles.org reports that sex is the number 1 topic searched on the Internet.  There are more than 1.3 million pornographic websites which is a $13 billion a year industry. Approximately 40 million people in the United States are sexually involved with the Internet while 72 million Internet users visit pornography web sites per year. 

These things could all be avoided or eliminated if we would learn to do one thing really well - exercise self-control. The Bible warns us about this: 2 Timothy 3:1-3 says, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control..."

Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon addressed the same issues we still face today: spending too much money, over-working, over-eating, excessive drinking, giving in to lust (just to name a few).

Is it possible to display self-control in our self-centered and self-seeking culture? Aristotle once said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.”  

2 Peter 1:6 says, "Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness". 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (self-control)". Galatians 5:22-23 shows us that believers are to produce the fruit of self control. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." 

God equips us with the power to be able to control ourselves, but it actually requires that we give up control and allow the Holy Spirit to "control" us.   
 

How are you doing in this area of your life? Do you feel in control or out of control? We can’t solve all of society’s problems, we can’t change the chaos around us, we can’t control it – but we can learn to control ourselves - Or allow God's Spirit to lead us; and when we do - our whole world will change.