Good morning…
“From the center of our innermost being, we are transformed to transform the world with the gifts of God,” concluded yesterday’s post. “Power. Love. Self-control.” After pushing “send” on our message, I climbed back into bed for my second sleep.
As if the heart of the Spirit skipped no beat, upon my second waking, the title of the first email I opened was self-control. Not a normal word in my daily vocabulary, this lesser known fruit of God’s Spirit involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to the instant gratification consuming our world. Self-control, a gift given by God, allows us to commit our wholehearted “yes” to the slow, centering growth of our Christlike character.
“Keep to the middle if you wish to keep moderation,” wrote St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a monk and mystic who lived from 1090 to from 1153. “The mid way is the safe way. Moderation abides in the mean, and moderation is virtue. Every abiding place outside the bounds of moderation is only exile to the wise man.”
Our post from yesterday was entitled Campfire Confessions and, with another holy hook, the self-control devotional email grabbing my attention ended with a song, You Are My Vision CAMPFIRE. With these two unusual overlapping words, self-control and campfire, I sensed God’s Spirit burning in me.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise (what a great example of self-control)
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
Might we feel the power of God blazing boldly within our hearts as we enjoy this folksy rendition of a well-known old hymn? For indeed, “Our God is a consuming fire!” (Hebrews 12:29, CJB).
…Sue…
