Good morning disciplined ones!

SELF-CONTROL is the ability to exercise restraint over your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.  A person with SELF-CONTROL continues to maintain progress, even when he does not feel like it. Really, it boils down to this:  If we are going to be DISCIPLINED and have SELF-CONTROL, then we cannot go by what we feel ~ we cannot be ruled by our emotions.

See, our flesh just wants to do whatever it feels like doing – it does not want to be controlled – it wants to run wild.  For example, if it feels like eating 25 bowls of ice cream, unless you restrain it, how many of you know it will do it.  If it feels like telling somebody off and giving them a piece of their mind – unless you restrain it, it will do it.  Our flesh is lazy – it wants you to be in bed and sleep when it knows you need to get up and pray.  The flesh always wants to do what it feels, but if we are going to be the people God wants us to be and experience His best, we have got to learn to exercise SELF-CONTROL and not go by our feelings.

The Bible says in Galatians 5:23,

• The fruit of the spirit is…self-control.

Do you know that the fruit of the flesh is NO control and we have got to make a dicision whether we are going to be ruled by the flesh and just live average, mediocre lives, or whether we are going to be DISCIPLINED so we can live a life full of joy.

We need to remember that DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL are NOT your enemies.  DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL are tools God has given you to help you become His disciples, but if you disregard them and do not apply them properly to your life, then you will never experience the fullness that God has in store for you.  You are going to have to take charge of your thoughts and your body.  Just remember, DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL have to be developed – it does not just automatically happen.

Hebrews 12:11 says,

• No DISCIPLINE at the time seems enjoyable it’s painful – but later on, it will produce a great harvest of righteousness.

I want to exhort you that DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROl are learned habits.  Just like it takes time to form bad habits, it takes a little time to form good habits.  So, be patient with yourself. Everything you need to be DISCIPLINED and walk in SELF-CONTROL is in you, because the Holy Spirit lives in you.

“Father we make a quality decision that we are going to take charge of our lives and start exercising DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL. We desire to go forward and grow in You.  Thank You, Father, that You DISCIPLINE the ones you love.  We want to be imitators of You, as dear children.  We decide to trust You completely with our lives.  We praise You, Lord, for everything You are working out in our lives, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

In His service,

Lisa Gordon

Jesus City Church