Kill Me Now: The Discipline of Self-Control

Alright, not literally... but it is one of my favorite expressions for when I am frustrated, or in this case, when I want something, and I can't have it. I said this last night as I watched nine, no scratch that, eight other people sink their teeth into hot, gooey, delicious pizza in front of my very eyes. Last night we had our youth group Christmas party due to the fact that before Christmas, it seemed like every Tuesday night we had a blast of freezing rain. So, last night, we had our Christmas/New Year's party that consisted of some really fun games (thanks to Pastor Burt) and food (thanks to everyone who brought it), and a gift exchange.

My one solace was that my good buddy Brianna is dieting as well, and she was there last night. I was proud of myself for not giving into my desires.

Self-control is an interesting thing. During the Ohio State game, which I did not watch (football is a waste of my life), my aforementioned friend Brianna, her mom, my mom, and me of course, talked about this very thing. I mentioned my feelings of frustration for certain people in my life who have seemed to have lost all self-control and the desire for self-control—people who claim to know God and to love Him. Everyone else chimed in with similar stories. Granted, I am not exempt from this category...I know I need more self-control in my life, but I feel like society in general has lost all desire or need for self-control. We do what we want, when we want to regardless of what it does to our bodies, how it impacts others, and despite commitments we have made. We can see this trend all around us—America's spending crisis comes to mind. I don't want to be like this.

What does the Bible have to say about self-control? Here is my favorite:

(2 Pet 1:6 NLT) Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness.

And let's not forget that self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. So if we know God, self-control should be evident in our lives. I know I need more of it!

So... enough of me on my soapbox... how was my day yesterday as far as my New Year's resolutions are concerned? Not horrible. Here's what I ate:

-No fat, no sugar, plain yogurt and a peach
-A Lean Cuisine for lunch
-Chicken and vegetables for dinner
-A handful of peanuts

I still didn't have a chance to work-out, unless you count the Shuffle Your Buns game that Pastor B made us play.

I felt better about my whole time/priorities balance as well. Not a bad day at all. Here's to another day of acquiring self-control, whether I want it or not! :)