Thursday; January 4

Okay, one thing that I do like about coming out of the holiday season is that I no longer feel the need to eat everything in sight! I have become another one of the casualties of our society and, at least for about a month, I feel almost compelled to over-indulge. Not only does the holiday season give me an excuse to eat copious amounts of stuff that isn’t good for me, people go out of their way to make an abundance of items that look so good and taste even better. Now, while I wish I could blame others for my elevated sugar count and expanding waist line, but the responsibility rests squarely on my shoulders. I know better, I just need to do better.

Interestingly, this is not merely a holiday issue, practicing self-control is a need we have in so many aspects of our lives – including our religion. It is easy to look around at all the temptations around us, but living the good life is up to each one of us. When the Apostle Paul reflected on what it takes to reach a higher spiritual level he noted, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24).

What do we need to do regain control of our lives in a world gone wild? Once we figure out our temptations, let’s put self-control into practice.

Think About It!

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