Everyone wants a happy life. In the past some of us tried to achieve a good life by taking what are known to be shortcuts. Unfortunately, the shortcuts proved less than desirable, and we found ourselves in chaotic places we would rather have avoided.
In the Bible we find the story of Esau who traded his blessing as a firstborn son for a bowl of stew to fill his empty stomach. At the time, his primary concern was to satisfy his immediate physical need without any thought at all about his future. Esau had not learned how to practice self-control.
Jesus faced a similar challenge. The plan of God was that Jesus would come to earth as a man, live a sinless life, pay the penalty of death for the sin of all humans, rise victorious over death, and then return to heaven to prepare a place for those who would believe in His saving work. It was a great plan for all humans but a tough journey for Jesus to attain it for us. Satan offered Jesus the shortcut of becoming king over all the earth. If Jesus had yielded to this temptation, He would have obeyed Satan rather than God and we would all be captive in our sins, eternally separated from God. Thankfully, Jesus practiced self-control and followed God’s plan.
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” (Matthew 4:8-10 NLT)
We need to practice self-control and avoid all shortcuts that take us even one step outside of God’s will. We are warned, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NLT). Jesus is truly the only way forward. If we give our will and life to Jesus, He will fill us with His Spirit who will help us to make wise choices. As we stay on the path, one step at a time we will find that practicing self-control really does bring the good things that God has planned for us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to walk humbly with You from this day forward and choose to follow Your will for my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may have the gift of self-control over all issues that I encounter. Amen
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