Monday Morning Manna: God Given Self-Control

As he admitted to a wrongdoing, the young man said, “I just couldn’t control myself.” Self-control is a difficult thing. It has to do with discipline, and discipline is hard. We live in an out-of-control society and If you don’t discipline yourself, someone else will control you. Thus the importance of self-control. It is similar to a muscle in that the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. The idea of self-control gains in importance when you realize that if a person can’t control themselves, it is highly debatable if they can control others, thus they disqualify themselves for effective leadership. The Apostle Paul wrote to his young friend, Titus and told him to, “Encourage the young men to be self-controlled” (Titus 2:6, NIV). So, what is there in your life that you need to bring under self-control? It is after all, a God-given ability.

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.