Self Control

I and two other men were in Paraguay visiting with a Missionary and his family. The first day we awoke to fog floating over the floor. My friend pulls out his electric razor to give himself a shave; my other friend looked at the fog and said “what have I let you talk me into.” My other friend plugs his electric razor into the wall socket and all of a sudden his razor was running real fast! Well; for about 3 seconds and that was it, the razor was no more. We later learned that the electric was not 110 but 220; too much power for his 110 razor. I was wondering do you have enough power? I would like to write on Self Esteem and Self Control for a moment. What is self control? It is restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires. Krispy Kreme wants us to buy a dozen doughnuts while they are hot; Best Buy wants us to buy a television before you leave the store; self control is being able to restrain from doing so. There is something else; you can't touch it, but it affects how you feel. You can't see it, but it's there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You can't hear it, but it's there every time you talk about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? It's your self-esteem! Esteem is a fancy word for thinking that someone or something is important or valuing that person or thing. And self means, well, you! It's how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. Now I realize you can go over board but we are told in Romans 12 and verse 3 “not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to. Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. You and I must learn to have self control.  Proverbs 16:32  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit (has self control)  than he that taketh a city. Self control isn’t praying and asking God if He wants you to have a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut let there be a free parking space at the front door and then riding around the building 16 times until there is one.  Self esteem is understanding that you are a value to God and that God has something for you to do; understanding and knowing that you can do all things through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Self-esteem isn't bragging about how great you are. It’s about who you are in Christ Jesus. My prayer for you and your family is that Sunday Morning you will find yourselves in Church getting to know about the Lord Jesus. If you live close I invite you to Victory at 88 Brand Rd Loganville GA. We’ll talk again on Monday.