Power and Leftovers

 

…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.          2 Timothy 1:7

 

The holidays are over.  Weight has been gained.  The need for self-control has been re-established.

I tell myself, if I lived alone I would give  away or throw away all those leftover goodies calling me from the kitchen. The problem is that it doesn’t seem like others are as tempted by it all as I am.

I go through this same agony if I invite friends over and have leftover dessert. Is it wrong to throw it away? Should I try to make sure it gets eaten, you know, by someone else?

Perhaps, like others in my household, food is not an issue for you. But don’t we all have something that is difficult for us to resist? For some men it is lust, for others video games or internet addictions. We know there are huge problems with drugs, alcohol, and internet porn in our world. Some people even have trouble turning away from the gym or their phones. We all need discipline in some area of life.

Thanks God, He did not leave the Christian defenseless! He gave us a spirit of power, love, and self-control! Our job is to use it.

I often think of a lesson I learned from Lysa TerKeurst’s book, Made to Crave that suggested that when we are tempted by food we simply ask ourselves this question, “Will I be more satisfied now with the pleasure of this treat or tomorrow with the victory of having left it on the plate?” (Those are not her exact words but they grasp the concept.) We can apply this question to any temptation knowing we have Help.

I know in my heart that I prefer the victory, the trick is remembering that when I am being tempted! I have to remind myself that God has given me the ability, through His Holy Spirit, to resist temptation. I know that when I am weak, He is strong. I remind myself that it is more important that I deny myself than that I indulge my desires.

This may all seem like a lot of concern over a couple of pounds gained at Christmas. The truth is that I have learned that when I lose my ability to discipline myself in something small, like the food I eat, then I tend toward losing control in other areas. My time management skills go out the window, what little will I have to exercise is lost, or my tongue may move too much. I can’t afford to forget about God’s gift of the spirit of power, love, and self-control!

I don’t know yet if I will throw all those tempting sweets away, give them away, or just wait until they have all grown stale or moldy so it’s easier to justify trashing them.

I just hope that I don’t get rid of it by eating it (which appears to be the course I am on)!

Any suggestions for exercising self-control in 2017?