I remember when I was younger that a family member of mine used to get so angry that they would punch holes into the wall. I used to have a supervisor who was admittedly curt in emails with others not caring about how detrimental it may have been to the recipient. I have found that when I am trying to work on something and noise begins to invade my tranquil space, I have a habit of getting up in frustration and leaving that space without saying where I am going.
We have all let our feelings have the power to control our actions at one point in time or another. This month I believe that God wanted me to write this blog because it is time for us to establish dominion over our feelings through self control and discipline. We have had our time in letting our feelings be the determining factor in how our day will go, how we will treat others, or even how we will act. When we have been angry, we have acted out with rage. When we have felt frustrated or impatient about a situation, we have acted out with aggravation. The list goes on and on but the question is; how?
We have all let our feelings have the power to control our actions at one point in time or another. This month I believe that God wanted me to write this blog because it is time for us to establish dominion over our feelings through self control and discipline. We have had our time in letting our feelings be the determining factor in how our day will go, how we will treat others, or even how we will act. When we have been angry, we have acted out with rage. When we have felt frustrated or impatient about a situation, we have acted out with aggravation. The list goes on and on but the question is; how?
How do we truly establish dominion over our feelings through self control when we live in a world where it has become a norm for our actions to be based on our feelings? How do we truly begin to act joyful when we are feeling angry about a situation that has taken place? How do we act peaceful when noise has invaded our surrounding and we do not feel a sense of harmony? How do we act more gentle and kind towards others that we interact with when we simply feel like being curt just because?
Establishing dominion over my own feelings through self control has been an ongoing pursuit that I have and still am working on in various areas of my life. Since I can remember, I have always felt drawn to sweets. Peach cobbler, rice pudding, pecan pie, apple pie, funnel cake, ice cream, you name the sweet and 9 times out of 10 there is a special place in my heart for it. Due to my love for sweet foods, somewhere down the line I found myself daily eating sweets. Whenever I felt as though I wanted a sweet food to eat, I simply went and got it or made it for myself. More recently, I have begun to discipline myself with food, so when I begin to feel as though I want something sweet just because I am used to eating it, I choose to eat a healthier choice, go workout, or simply deny my flesh. Now this does not mean that I do not eat any sweet foods anymore, I have just simply begun to establish that dominion over my feelings by choosing when I will or won’t eat sweets.
Establishing dominion over my own feelings through self control has been an ongoing pursuit that I have and still am working on in various areas of my life. Since I can remember, I have always felt drawn to sweets. Peach cobbler, rice pudding, pecan pie, apple pie, funnel cake, ice cream, you name the sweet and 9 times out of 10 there is a special place in my heart for it. Due to my love for sweet foods, somewhere down the line I found myself daily eating sweets. Whenever I felt as though I wanted a sweet food to eat, I simply went and got it or made it for myself. More recently, I have begun to discipline myself with food, so when I begin to feel as though I want something sweet just because I am used to eating it, I choose to eat a healthier choice, go workout, or simply deny my flesh. Now this does not mean that I do not eat any sweet foods anymore, I have just simply begun to establish that dominion over my feelings by choosing when I will or won’t eat sweets.
One of my favorite examples of self control in the bible is found in Matthew 4:1-4 (NIV) when the devil tries to tempt Jesus to eat knowing that he is hungry. “1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
In the same way that Jesus denied his flesh from eating or that I have had to deny my flesh from having sweets, we must begin to control our feelings by owning them and not letting our feelings own us. Lets begin to act in a way that we know is right, not necessarily because we feel that we should but simply because we know that we should.
In the same way that Jesus denied his flesh from eating or that I have had to deny my flesh from having sweets, we must begin to control our feelings by owning them and not letting our feelings own us. Lets begin to act in a way that we know is right, not necessarily because we feel that we should but simply because we know that we should.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for blessing us with another wonderful month. We come before you praying a simple prayer. Fill us up so that your spirit dwells within us, Galatians 5:22-23. May each one of us overflow with the fruit of the spirit. “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-constraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].” In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for blessing us with another wonderful month. We come before you praying a simple prayer. Fill us up so that your spirit dwells within us, Galatians 5:22-23. May each one of us overflow with the fruit of the spirit. “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-constraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].” In Jesus name we pray, Amen.