“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” –Titus 2:11-14

                                                 

I love the Christmas season. I am actually a little sad that it is over because it brings me so much joy. But one of the things that I am not good at over that same season is self-control, especially when it comes to food. I, along with many other people, tend to walk by every snack tray and snag some little goody. I just can’t help myself. So many different people make so many little treats that I look forward to that I stop on every pass by. I mean who can pass up fudge, cookies, brownies, Reese’s cups, and buckeyes just to name a few. I wish I could remember before the season starts how I feel after the season and I see the pounds that I have put on. It’s a bummer. In fact, sitting here thinking about all of those treats makes me want to go eat more of them but also go for a 100 mile run. It’s this common dilemma of knowing and doing.

The same thing applies to our lives. Sometimes the world can be so appetizing or appealing that we find ourselves going back for more and more. No matter what it is we find ourselves knowing that we shouldn’t and still diving back in because we enjoy it so much. That is one of the reasons that God sent Christ to the cross. He sent His son to the world to bring salvation for all people and the reminder for us to be self-controlled people. To take a minute to think about what we are doing before we do it instead of regretting it afterwards. God graced us with His presence to redeem us from our struggles and temptations so that we could share His saving message with the world!

Question of the day: Why is living a self-controlled life so difficult?

“When you give yourself, you receive more than you give.” –Antoine De Saint-Exupery