Day 9: Self-Control

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, and by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good, acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

Reflection

Think about control. We control the smells in our houses, in our homes with incense and plugins. We control bacteria with Lysol. We try to control viruses with vitamin C. We control our babies. We'll burp, we'll reprimand with pinches. When you're at church you get pinched or you get the side-eye from the choir stand. We are good at controlling because we know the past and we really are I think responsibly fearful for the future. When I thought about self-control and knowing that control has been our super-power from binding our bellies up to our hair to everything we know, controlling our femininity so people didn't attack us. We know how to control, but it is a tightness. When we are trying to control the world around us, it's like a mightiness. It is a tightness and when you do it for long enough, it is exhausting.

For me, self-control is knowing now that you have everything in your power because you are divinely connected.

Because you have got this right now. It is not the fear of the past. It is not the anticipation or fear of the future, but it is the power of right now that you can choose every moment of your life to get more and more awake or to fall deeper and deeper asleep. We are here. God has not given us the spirit of fear. Self-control is fearlessness.

It is knowing that I have a constant choice every morning. Self-control is the mechanism by which we employ all of the other Fruits of the Spirit. I believe that, but you have got to know how to do it. You have got to have it. Know those mechanisms for control, for being free to make your own choices free from fear, free from the smallness or disconnectedness of our lives.

Prayer

Eternal, all wise, all knowing, loving, matchless, creator, God Lord almighty, you are wonderful. You are loving. You are the beginning, the end, the Alpha, the Omega. You are our everything, Lord God and we love you. We love you Lord, and we lift up our hands to worship you oh Lord for our heart long to be closer and closer to you.

You ask us to bring our prayers and petitions to you so we can tell you right now to give us the power that we need, to give us the love that we need and to give us the self-control, self-discipline that we need to move and do the work that you have called for us to do.

We ask, Oh Lord that you continue to hide this work within our hearts so that we can continue to be strengthened to move closer to you, so that in those moments where we lack control of our minds, of our bodies, of our thoughts, we can automatically be brought closer to you so that the control we seek you take over for us. Lord God, it's all about your power, your power that gives us courage to do all that you called us to do. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, we love you Lord, Amen.

Walking Assignment

Today we ask you to walk to a supermarket or convenient store and ask the Lord to grant you self control to make the food choices that are necessary to maintain a healthy body. Today, pray for discipline in your eating choices. Today, go the extra mile and purchase groceries for the week and the supplies needed to help you prepare a healthy dinner for at least the next 3 nights. You can post pictures of your culinary masterpiece on social media using #girltrek so we can support you in your healthy decisions.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20