Filled With Self-control

FILLED WITH SELF-CONTROL

a prayer to open

Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

May your Kingdom come, may your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.

And they will hold you up with their hands

so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”

Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”

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.’”

Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

We may confuse self-control and self-mastery; none of us can master ourselves completely. We’ve all tried it. We’ve all failed. But we can surrender ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit and allow God to transform our disordered desires and sinful thoughts and actions. Where we are weak, God gives us supernatural strength. Where we are tempted, he gives us courage to turn away. Where we are broken, he heals us. When we fail, he can forgive us. We need only open ourselves and say yes to what God will give, and there our selves will be controlled by the Spirit.

• Where in your life do you see the kind of self-control Jesus displayed? In what areas are you struggling to exercise self-control?
• What is your life saying about your self-control, whether to those who know you or to those who simply observe you?
• Take a few minutes in prayer, asking God to show you where you need to grow when it comes to self-control. What did he illuminate for you?

Father, give me insight into myself in moments when I’m tired, triggered, or anxious. Help me see where I am weak and needing to protect against saying or doing something I’ll regret. Give me the strength to stay alert and stand firm so as not to give in to whatever Satan might tempt me to consider. Fill my mind with thoughts of you, and turn my heart toward you in times of weakness. Amen.