In today’s world, we are continually being asked to make split second decisions. While some such decisions are merited (such as stepping out of the way of a speeding car), there are many things that we should take more time in deciding.
For myself, I seem to have two modes: see an issue, decide immediately or see an issue and research and debate it until I lose interest. There seems to be very little middle ground.
I’ve discovered that many of my split second decisions revolve around things. Things that I want much more than things that I need. In giving thought to the issue, I’ve realized that more often than not, I’m not giving any thought to it other than simply I get tempted by something, then I want it and so I get it. If I thought about it, I would probably avoid many purchases and acquisitions. Once I have the item in my home, it often gets shuffled to the side unused.
What it boils down to is self-control. I am admittedly lacking in this area and need to improve. With this effort, I will be on my own as we are in a day and time in society where self-control is not something which is extolled or admired. I see so many individuals (especially creators on YouTube) who video their exploits and post them. Exploits that others see and emulate them, sometimes with dire results. Which doesn’t seem to stop the creators or even give them pause to consider the consequences of what they show.
I don’t think that YouTube is bad at all. I watch many shows from an area known as “floss tube” (where cross stitchers around the world show videos of their projects, etc.) I also have my own channel where I flip through the interiors of coloring books to show others so they can “see” the content to help them make their decisions to buy or not if they purchase their books on-line. There is good in much of the knowledge, tutorials, etc. that we can bring into our homes.
It is the watching of daily exploits and the use of the platform to promote evil intent and content that makes it an area in which to use self-control and wisdom in watching. Even in my watching of “floss tube”, I’ve discovered that many individuals get caught up in the moment and buy more than they need or could possibly use. I’ve been able to avoid that possibly because I already have so much stash that I have been actively giving my materials away. I like to think that it is primarily because I am asking God for wisdom in this area and for Him to help me with my self-control issues.
It has only been the last six months or so that I realized that, for those of us who have this issue, the real answer isn’t in society. It is to turn to God and ask for help. Trying to accomplish this on your own is difficult. There is always something new to entice your interest. Before you know it, you are back to the old habits but with a fancy new thing – so it feels new and different.
For me, the best thing was being put on a budget of what I can spend for extras. After prayer, this is something that both my husband and I do. Since instituting this limit, I weigh the acquisition of each and everything I consider. Most of the time, I now decide against something I would have purchased previously without thought. Just the simple monthly limit has been enough to boost my self-control.
Even more recently, I realized that self-control is something that I need to exercise in more areas in my life. The topic came up in a Bible Study question and a few hours later, as I was walking much too fast on a sore foot, I was questioning how I could exercise self-control in my life. Sad to say, it wasn’t something I applied immediately in real life and in the exercise I was doing at that moment and I am now suffering the consequences.
I was walking with an odd gait because of the sore foot, heavily pulled an abdominal muscle, which then pulled my SI joint out of alignment. So, I now have a sore foot, a huge stitch in my side and pain radiating from the SI joint. Sigh… almost all of my exercises have ground to a halt while I wait to heal. My physical therapist has told me it will take several days to a few weeks depending on how bad it is and quickly I will heal.
So, my lack of self-control has cost me in the end. I now understand that I have to go slowly. Things that I could bounce back from before take more time today. I need to consider each advance and go slow. There may be some things that would be nice to do that I simply may never be able to do again. I have to accept that there are some limitations that I will have to respect.
I’m now trying to apply self-control in many areas of my life and I am a little shocked at how foreign it feels. I’m also pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying the feeling of self-imposed limits.
One area that my husband and I had issues with before my recent illness was with watching television. We would watch five hours or more per day. These days, there are many days when the TV is not even turned on except to watch a screen saver montage of rolling images of our family with a big emphasis on grandchildren. This is something we really enjoy. The difference has been night and day. What we can’t figure out is how we found the time to watch that much TV before as we are so busy now the thought of giving up even a half an hour seems a huge commitment.
But again, while we are asking God for wisdom and guidance, there isn’t truly much support for self-control in the rest of the world. We are under a constant barrage of ads and enticements to buy this or try that. People try to one up one another on an on-going basis. To succeed at something dangerous and simply fool-hardy may garner you the acclaim of going “viral” and getting millions of views.
There’s also more here at stake than simple fame. Many creators today are also trying to make their fortunes based on views on YouTube. They get paid for the commercials that you watch when you watch their videos. On television, the advertisers pay the channel ahead of time on the off-chance you will watch their commercial through. On YouTube, it is the reverse. The creator gets paid after you watch the commercial.
They even make money from manufacturers for testing the products not just receiving the products for free. They make money from something called shout-outs (charging to just mention your product or blog, channel, etc.) I was shocked recently to hear someone charges $10,000 per shout-out. Yikes! Just to mention you?
For my own channel, I had originally made the decision not to monetize my videos. As I was doing the work to help others, I wasn’t looking to get paid. However, I have been thinking about letting some ads play to fund the purchase of the items that I review. To not monetize is road less travelled as many may start with good intentions and then their intentions change. Even making money is not bad as it costs money to live. One just needs to be sure that the desire for money does not take over and change the way you present things.
I’m so glad that God, who is the ultimate creator, knew the end from the beginning. That he is everything good and virtuous and that he, unlike mankind, is not swayed by the ebb and flow of human life or by commercial thoughts or even by how many choose him over the enemy.
He created a pure and beautiful world and included mankind. He didn’t want slaves, so he gave us free will. He wanted people to be with him by free choice.
It didn’t take long for mankind to lose their self-control and to break the one rule he had given them. From that point on, we had lost our direct connection to God and simply had no way of repairing the breach on our own. It would take someone to be born without the taint of sin, to live a sinless life and to become the sacrificial lamb who could take on the sins of the rest of humankind by voluntarily dying in our place. Since no human on their own could accomplish this, God sent his own son, Jesus, to become one of us.
While he was wholly God, Jesus was wholly man at the same time. He was tempted just as we are but, with God the Father as his constant advisor, Jesus was able to exercise the self-control that we lack and not only turn away from sin but also to rebuke Satan who was the one who constantly was tempting him to such sin.
So Jesus lived a sinless life and willingly died in our place. As he hung on the cross in the most painful and undignified death, I’m sure he thought of each one of us. I’m sure he saw every sin we have committed or even thought of. He suffered the worst of it when his connection to his Father was severed just as we suffer the consequences of sin by loss of this connection, too. That was undoubtedly the hardest part of his sacrifice and the one that he called out before he died.
So as a man, he died. But three days later, Jesus showed the world that he was also God. He resurrected from the dead as death had no claim on him. He stayed for a time amongst his followers and then left them with the mission to tell others of what had happened and the good news that mankind had been saved from the consequences of sin and death. Also our connection to God could be restored.
When Jesus died, the connection between man and God was restored. It is there and available to anyone who accepts and acknowledges the great sacrifice and salvation power of Jesus. One needs to accept that we are sinners who need to be saved and to acknowledge that Jesus died in our place to save us from those sins. We need to acknowledge that Jesus was resurrected from death because he was God and that, because he lives, we will also share in his resurrection one day. Finally, we need to ask him to indwell us with the Holy Spirit and to guide us forward in our lives from then on.
That’s it. That’s all. There are no deeds to perform. There is no level of goodness one needs to attain before Jesus will accept us. I have to admit I am so very glad of that. When it comes to sin, I am as guilty as any and more so than most.
I wish I could tell you that becoming a Christian leads to an immediate sinless life but that is far from the truth. Sin continues to tempt and Christians continue to fail. What a Christian has is someone to go to for advice and also for forgiveness. The advisor (Holy Spirit) can help you overcome the temptation to sin – which is the best of worlds. If you fail and sin, then God will be merciful and forgive those Christians who come to him and repent of their wrong-doing.
I am so glad of this as I have had to repent many, many times over the years. God knows that we will fail and has provided a means of taking care of us. It shows how much he loves us and wants fellowship with us. He wants that oneness with all people and puts the yearning for more in the heart of the unbeliever.
If you are feeling that yearning, there is a way for you to have the security that I feel. If you are feeling a lack of self-control in a world that seems to have gone mad, there is a way to a brighter future. If you are looking to get right with God, there is a way to meet him. The way is freely available to you. Simply ask Jesus to show you his way. Consider accepting Jesus as your savior. Consider it today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Galatians 5:19-25:
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.