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The word temperance means self-control, not God-control. People pray for God to control them, saying, "God, I want You to do this for me so I won't sin." But they don't need God-control; they need some self-control.

God is saying, "You use your faith to exercise self-control." You need to believe God in what He has put inside you. Remember God's Word says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12). God has put in you the ability, the power, the resolve to walk free from any sin, any lust of the flesh, any fear. But for it to come to pass, you must believe Him.

Now this is something we really need to do regarding a whole range of issues. For instance, we need to exercise self-control over our budget. So often, people making one hundred dollars a week will spend one hundred and two dollars every week.

If that includes you, then you are out of control! You need self-control. God cannot use you the way He wants to if you are bound up in debt. Start believing God to reign in your appetite for buying everything new that comes along!

God wants His people to be able to bless His Church so that His work can be done. He wants you giving money to the poor. When you do, He will give back to you - with interest! But you cannot do God's bidding if you have not exercised any self-control over your budget.

Or maybe you are not exercising self-control over your body. Maybe you are eating consistently - all day and all night! By letting your body get out of control where food is concerned, the power of God will not be able to work in you as it should!

This is why the Bible says: "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:19-20). God is saying, "That's My body you are living in, and I want you to exercise some control over it."

Why does God care about that? Because there is a correlation between flowing in the Spirit, and having self-control of the body. When you learn to control your body, you can then use it to control everything else. So start exercising some self-control! God gave us a brain so we would use it.

Now in exercising self-control, there are some things we should not do. We should have enough sense not to put ourselves in the wrong position. Why would extremely overweight people always be driving by a Dairy Queen on a hot summer day? They should be taking a different route.

Why would a single guy, who is supposed to be believing God, have to take cold showers to keep himself in line sexually? If that's his problem, he shouldn't be going to see R-rated movies. By putting himself in that position, he is just asking for trouble. Then he complains to his pastor that he can't control himself. He needs to begin exercising some self-control!

Why would a lady with a weakness for buying new dresses keep going into all those fancy and expensive dress shops? You might say, "I'm just looking because I like to shop." If that's really a problem, you had better get yourself out of there!

Peter was saying, "For you to keep from stumbling or falling, you must add some self-control to your faith and exercise that self-control!" In other words, "Use your brain!" God gave you a brain - not just so you would have something to slosh around inside your skull, but so you would have some brainpower to use. So start using it!

You won't stumble or fall when you can control yourself, your mouth and your actions. Peter would not have told you to add self-control to your faith unless you had the ability to do it. Yes, you can learn to control yourself. It can be done!

Source: Success Strategies From Heaven by Keith Butler.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

Author Biography

Keith Butler
Web site: Keith Butler
 
Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center. He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).
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