Text: Proverbs 16:32; 25:28; James 1:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-9
Control is a big deal to me. I
love being a Christian and the freedom it gives me to take control of my own
life and destiny. I believe that life is what you make it and the road on which
I have chosen to travel was determined by a surrender of my will to that of the
Heavenly Father.
I struggle when things beyond my
control close in around me in an effort to shape and form my life. It seems
like a roadblock has been put in front of me on my journey down the highway of
like and I don’t like it. So often this is what happens in this arena called
“life” and circumstances which we have no control over bombard us from every direction
on a daily basis.
Cars break down, layoffs happen
at work, the children get sick, taxes go up, the dreaded in-laws call and say
they’re coming for a summer visit. The list of things we have to deal with that
are beyond our control is endless. There is, however, one thing in life that
the Bible says we are to always have control of. Jesus said in Luke 21:19, “In
your patience, possess your soul.”
Who we are and what we become in
life is determined by us and us alone. We cannot control our neighbours or the
boss at work but we are instructed to take control of the way we respond to the
everyday circumstances of life. This, of course, is a lot easier said than
done. To do this will take a lifetime of determination, endurance, and
oftentimes intense struggle and hardship.
You see, our emotions are real.
So often in the Christian camp we are told to ignore our feelings and live “in
the realm of the spirit.” It is true, in the makeup of every believer our
feelings and emotions can rightfully be called “the weakest link” but how can
you ignore something that is so real and relevant in our lives? After all,
Jesus Himself was a very emotional man. He wept, He got angry, at times He got
very frustrated, and in the Garden of Gethsemane He struggled so fiercely with
His emotions that His sweat became as drops of blood.
No, we cannot ignore our feelings
and, in truth, we’re not supposed to. The Bible does not teach us to ignore our
feelings but rather to control them. It was this same Jesus Who at
times displayed His emotions so openly said, “In your patience, possess your
soul.” Why did He say that? Because He knew that if you do not take control of
your emotions, for sure they will take control of you.
How important is self-control? In
Galatians 5:22-23, it is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit and John the
apostle writes, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in
health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2:1). Financial success and
physical health is in direct proportion to how well one takes control of
wayward emotions.
In Acts 24 Paul had an audience
with Felix the governor and verse 25 says “he reasoned about righteousness,
self-control, and the judgment to come.” A person becomes righteous in the
sight of God when they get born-again and in the end when all is said and done,
we must all stand before the throne of God where we will all be held
accountable for what we’ve done with the life we’ve been given. Paul tells us
that between
conversion and the judgment to come, one’s life should be lived with the
trademark of self-control and the diligence that goes with it.
The word “self-control” is a translation of the Greek word ‘egkrateia’. This word is derived from ‘kratos’ which means “strength and power”. The fruit of
self-control brings with it the same strength and power that raised Jesus from
the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20).
A believer must have so much
control over his emotions that his feelings become his slave. Since a slave has
no legal rights of his own and is bound by law to his master, all emotions that
are brought into subjection must be obedient to its owner. Do not ask yourself how you feel, tell yourself how you feel. When
you take control of your emotions you take control of your life.
According to Paul, the result of
not having self-control is to become a “castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27) and in
Greek this word is defined as “unapproved, rejected, worthless…” Because
of a lack of self-control many believers have become worthless castaways and
have dropped out of the race for the incorruptible crown. Clearly,
living a life of self-control should be a top priority for every believer.
Let’s look again at what Jesus
said and see the time frame for when the best opportunity is for us to take
control of our feelings and emotions. He said, “In your patience, possess your
soul.” Having patience indicates that you are standing in faith as you wait for
some prayer request to be manifested.
Something in your life is not
right. You are in a struggle and feelings of doubt and frustration are knocking
on the door of your soul. You have feelings that are real and they’re causing
you much pain. Your emotions are under constant attack as days go by and your
struggle is still there and no relief seems in sight. You obey the Word to the
best of your ability but still, the situation gets worse and worse. You are
ready to pull every hair out of your head as you continually try to do
something about that which you can do nothing about.
A feeling of helplessness swarms
over you and at times you feel like a puppet on a string being controlled by
some diabolical force. You cry out, “God, where are You?” and it takes every
ounce of spiritual energy you’ve got just to keep from giving up. It is in
times like this, when you are on the brink of what seems like a hopeless
situation that God says to “possess your soul.” He does not say to do this when
all is going well. No, we are told to take control of our emotions when they
are most under attack.
Just how does one take possession
of their soul? By following the example of Jesus, of course. He surrendered His
will to the Heavenly Father and said in John 12:49, “For I have not spoken on
My own authority; but the Father Who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should
say and what I should speak.”
Words are the most powerful force
in the entire universe. What you say can make you or break you. Proverbs 21:23
says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”
Do not give birth to negative feelings by speaking them out of your mouth. Heed
the words of James 1:19b which tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath.” Proverbs 17:27 says, “He who has knowledge spares his
words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.”
It is a sure thing that the trial
that plagues you the most will almost never go away until you get your emotions
under control. Molehill problems turn into mountains when like a runaway train
your emotions go unrestrained. Silence is the key to gaining self-control.
After all, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his
lips he is considered perceptive” (Proverbs 17:28).
*** Written by Randall J. Brewer ***
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