A couple of weeks ago a NFL player, Odell Beckham of the New York Giants had an interesting and almost toxic game. As a wide receiver he clearly lost control. From spearing corner back Josh Norman to slapping him across his helmet. Norman wasn't completely innocent either. Beckham's action cost him a one game suspension; Norman was fined $26,000 for his part.
We've all experienced situations - young and old alike - moments when frustration gets the better of us and we suddenly feel like we're losing our minds.
Temper tantrums
Eating the entire jar of jellybeans.
Fighting on the playground
Throwing a video game controller across the room.
Yelling at the kids in frustration.
I wish I could say that I am always in complete control of my emotions and actions. But none of us are.
Throughout the Bible, God talks about a lot about self-control. As a fruit of the Spirit, self-control is a response to the change that God is making in our lives. With our own willpower we are helpless to control anything, but with God's power we have strength. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us and are able to do what we should do even when it's not what we want to do.
The book of Proverbs includes several verses where God gives us wisdom to practice for those moments when we'd rather do anything but show self-control. Proverbs are not merely wise sayings. Rather, they are part of God's story where He whispers to us: "here's how you should live." Over the next few weeks in Inspire Kids, we'll look at self-control through God's lens and explore four truths that Solomon captured in the book of Proverbs.
Let’s all learn together this month to pause, select
the right words and actions, and most importantly
tap into God’s power to show some self-control.
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