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Word4Today Daily Bible Devotional

by Bob and Debby Gass

Self-Control

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‘Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, self-control.’ CEV 2 Peter 1:5–6 

Ever notice how we tend to blame our circumstances for our lack of character? We explain our bad behaviour as due to sad upbringing, no money, or other people’s faults. Your circumstances may be beyond your control—but your character isn’t. You can’t blame your character flaws on circumstances any more than you can blame a mirror for how you look.

Integrity is always a choice, and every time you make a character-based decision, you take a step forward in your spiritual growth. Think about the times you have faced temptation or adversity. Jot them down, and beside each one, note your choice: to escape, excuse, give up, avoid or persevere. What problem areas can you identify? How can you do better?

If the things you listed were due to circumstances beyond your control, then choose to take greater control of your life. How? ‘By adding… self-control’ to your arsenal. Our lives resemble icebergs, in that 15% is visible; that’s our reputation. The rest, our character, is hidden below the surface. Character is what we think but don’t necessarily share. It’s based on what we do when nobody’s looking, how we handle life’s little aggravations, how we handle failure—and success.

At the end of a brilliant career, Joshua challenged Israel with these words: ‘Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV) Character is based on self-control, and self-control is about making the right choices. And the good news is, you don’t have to do it alone: ‘God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey Him.’ (Philippians 2:13 CEV)

SoulFood: 2 Cor 11:16–13:14 Mark 15:1–11 Ps 54 Pro 21:18–21

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

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