Control yourself

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17

At a recent marathon, there was a runner who, near the very end of the race, cut across the field to shorten his distance. When another runner called him out on it, he replied that "it was okay because the mileage on his GPS watch was measuring correctly." While that made perfect sense to him, he was still cheating and at risk of being disqualified. It seems we can always find a way to justify the things we want to do - to somehow word them in a way that makes them okay. In his mind, since the course went a tad bit over the 26.2, it was okay for him to correct it himself and only for himself. He failed to take into consideration that his disobedience put him at an unfair advantage over the other runners and could possibly have allowed him to win a medal that wasn't rightfully his. All runners in a race have the same rules and are expected to follow them in order to claim the prize.

Our walk with Christ is the same. God has given us all the same set of rules to follow without exception. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things." and verse 27 says, "I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." When tempted to do the wrong thing, and temptations will come, we have to exercise self-control. Vocabulary.com defines self-control as: the quality that allows you to stop yourself from doing things you want to do but that might not be in your best interest. God defines it as obedience.

Like the runner in the story, the temptation to "cut corners" can happen at any time in our lives especially when we are weak or worn out -what a shame it would have been to run a good race only to be disqualified steps away from the finish line. When overcoming wrongful desires,  1 Corinthians 10:13 gives us this promise,"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." Through Christ, we have the power of self-control. Use it to do the right thing and finish strong.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the strength to overcome temptations. No matter how we may try to justify sin,  help us to remember that breaking a commandment is always a sin to matter how we try to disguise it. May we weigh our actions against your Word when we are in doubt of the right thing to do. Help us to run a good and honest race throughout out whole life. In your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!
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Socially Acceptable - DC Talk

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