Not every morning unfolds into what I wish for, but that’s just life. Some days are diamonds, sang John Denver, but some are stone. He covers good days and bad days, and there are some mediocre days in between if you think about that swing.
This morning, a burbling thought kept coming to the surface of a routine that has good and bad mixed alongside the average.
How often do we spend time, energy, and money on something
and never take full advantage of what we’ve committed to?
We waste a commitment or fail to take seriously what is required, and then we let go of something that at one time was what we enjoyed. Or, at least we thought we did, or would.
This morning, I look at my world and realize my subconscious is talking to me. There are too many irons in the fire. Add that I’m always interested in doing something more than I have time for, then you catch my thought.
I’m taking advantage of myself. That’s not a good thing.
I Like Clutter
Maybe this goes back in time to my Granddad, Grady Simmons. Born in 1900, he lived a time we don’t comprehend. Ford’s Model A was introduced in 1903. Think about it. Horseback and buggies were commonplace, and slowly they lost the edge to the infernal mechanical machine. In 1900, there were only half a million telephones in homes – of course, you had to be close to a big city to experience that. Still to come were WWI, the Spanish Flu, Great Depression, and WWII. Granddad was a packrat, and if he didn’t need it, it might still come in handy someday!
This was life. You saved everything – Grandmother collected Green Stamps, coupons, and recipes. (I have her shoebox full of recipes.) You bought when things were on sale and saved them against the days of sky-high prices. (I remember when sugar was skyrocketing, she bought a lot – only to have the price return to normal, and she was loaded with high-priced sugar!)
To say I come by clutter naturally is accepted as the price I pay for my heritage. Do I need it? No!!! Yet, it’s hard to get rid of.
For example, I found a box of canceled checks in my garage, which is a work in progress. Remember when? The bank used to send canceled checks back to you in a monthly statement. One of my first jobs at First State Bank of Greens Bayou (1972) was to take your stack of checks and printed statements and seal them into an envelope. Then, put them in a long gray tray for postage processing and deliver them to the post office.
Why keep them? They are nearly 40 years old! Shred them, burn them, or toss them in the recycle bin. Except. They are history. A glance showed me where we spent money. It may not answer “why” we spent the money, but I see a lot of checks written for “cash.” Remember, this was before ATMs existed! The only way to get cash was to write a check, or when writing a check, ask if you could write it for ten dollars over the amount. Or, you had to go to the bank!
Where Am I Going With This?
The Apostle Paul, Peter, and others all spoke about self-control. It’s all about managing your mind, heart, spirit, or emotions. In a day before technology replaced many avenues of thought and action, they understood the concept of handling anything that could get out of control. The KJV uses other phrases as the translators attempted to give insight into their writing – contain (control), sobriety, temperance, or incontinence.
Compare Paul and Peter’s insights (emphasis mine.)
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue,
to virtue knowledge,
to knowledge self-control,
to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness,
to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love.
For if these things are yours and abound,
you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,
and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
2 Peter 1:5-9 NKJV
Notice where self-control shows up. A Fruit (offspring) of the Spirit gives us time to learn how to control ourselves after we take full advantage of all the blessings of the Spirit. It finds its place! Peter’s list shows us adding self-control about halfway through the list. Notice it shows up just before perseverance. Once you start exercising that process of life, then you practice how to persevere!
We all have areas where we control ourselves well and many areas where we lack such a process. Whether it’s addiction or attitude, our world eventually crumbles when we fail to take ownership. Being in control of self is persevering with the attitude that self-control is important!
Taking Advantage of Yourself: Being in control of self is persevering with the attitude that self-control is important! Click To TweetFrom YOUR Experiences, Learn Your Lessons
A few days ago, I was asked to participate in something. I immediately started trying to make it happen. I talked to my bride, and she brought out the timing hindrances. Could I have still done it? Maybe. But I would have to give up something else equally important. Making a conscious decision in light of other obligations means exercising some self-control.
Lesson learned. Do not agree until you consider all ramifications! When I need or want something, I still take the time to consider all my options before committing my resources. Must I purchase new? Or will “gently used” suffice? It depends on the maintenance of the item!
What works for me may not work for you. That’s where Grace comes into play. Give me the grace to learn at my speed, and I’ll do the same for you.
What if you are judged by the snapshot of your worst moment?
We barely meet Rahab but find her in Hebrews 11.
What’s your worst? I’m willing to see you in your best moment. Please do the same for me.