Out of Control

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Mick Jagger once said, “It's all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back.”  The problem for most people is that second part.  We all have that urge to explore boundaries, to try those things which we know may not be the best choice for us.  As Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  It is part of who we are because God designed us to think for ourselves and have the freedom to choose to do right or do wrong.  The hardest thing to do it seems is to recover and learn from those choices that lead us astray.  

So how do we keep ourselves from going so far astray that we can’t get back?  First and foremost, remember that God is always there with you.  “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).  With God’s help and guidance, we can develop habits that will help us better decide what our true priorities are and say no to those other things and be content doing so.  These habits will give us a bigger yes burning inside, things like daily prayer, service to others, silence and solitude, and meditation on scripture.  They just need to be looked at from the viewpoint of the athlete.  Only through dedicated and repeated practice can an athlete attain the highest levels of achievement in their sport.  The same goes being a Christian.  If we practice these habits until they are second nature and we don't even need to think about them anymore, it can help us grow into a more complete and intimate relationship with God.

Many newer books on this topic focus on aggressive and bold transformations or whole life changes.  These sound awesome when you read them but in the end are hard to sustain in practice and seem to be a short term answer to a long term question.  While we set our ultimate desires on Heaven, we need to set our hearts and minds today on the path Christ forged for us and stay the course.  Stay positive and try to keep control of yourself but don’t get too hard on yourself when you slip.  We all slip, only Jesus was perfect.  If we help each other practice the habits God wants us to, we can together walk into Heaven one day with a smile on our face and gratitude and love in our hearts.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25