Off to get me some

Warning: Dear Friends and Family, this is a long one! Just so you know God is all over me and this is a very real and dear post to my heart...I am walking towards my God to get me more of Him! This will be up for awhile as I will be a taking a break for a few...hey it will give you time to make it through to the end of this post! I love you and more importantly your God loves and adores you!

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Have you ever had a moment, day, week, month, year that felt completely out of control? Well I sure have…and the funny thing is I have caught myself blaming and pointing the finger at everyone else but myself!
　
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28
　
self-control
–noun
control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc.


Self control is a wall for defense and protection.

Am I lacking in self-control?

How does lacking in self-control look? Sound?

’oh I can’t do that, that’s way to hard, I don’t have the strength to do that’

I can’t lose the weight

I can’t bite my tongue

I can’t exercise

I can’t eat healthy

I can’t quit smoking

I can’t love that person

I can’t walk away from that addiction

I can’t wash another load of laundry or make another meal

I can’t be their friend

I can’t stay in this marriage

I can’t work another day at this job
　
What is your "I can’t?"

Do you need to come lay it down before a God who can?
　
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

Mastering self-control in some specific areas of our lives:

Our words

He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. Proverbs 13:3

What we say, is it positive, uplifting, God honoring
Would we say that if the person was in the room?
Gossiping
Encouraging


What we spend our time doing

Serving self or others?
Time wasters?
Time with God each day?

Taking care of ourselves

What we eat
Working out
Do we have health problems that could be corrected if we ate better, worked out, sought preventative health care (ie physicals each year, dental visits)

Our attitude

Do we tend to act or react?
Are we defensive?
Impatient with others?

Our thoughts

Judgmental or ourselves or others?
Impure?

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8-9 (The Message)

There are many things that we can be in control of in our lives and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can be filled with the divine power to achieve them!

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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26

Oh and just a reminder: We shouldn’t let anything or anyone determine our values and standards in any area of our life. This is Gods job, and His alone!
　
What happens when we are out of control?

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7 (New International Version)

I don’t know about you but when I am out of control, I am not focusing on my Jesus, I am not clear headed, and I am wasting a whole lot of time being stressed and worried. Friends this is not the life Jesus has for us. He has a life of peace and joy, filled with a whole lot of grace and love!
　
Where do we go from here?

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy." 1 Peter 1:13 (The Message)

We put our hope and faith in our Jesus and the future!
　
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galatians 5:22-23 (The Message)

So I am off to go get me some self-control! By laying down my list of "I cant’s" and allowing Him to fill me with a whole lotta divine power that shouts I can!