3/21/17 - Tuesday - IBS - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -  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. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Julie:

What I feel when reading this is conviction of not having the self-control that I should have.  I have a big heart and the right motives, and that is good momentum, but without self-control, I'm useless.  Self-control helps me to not exhaust myself.  It keeps me from keeping simplicity alive.  It keeps me out of danger.  I need self-control over my thoughts, my actions and my words.  I tend to get excited and let that take me too far.  This is immaturity because it is a lack of self-control.  It's a form of being impulsive.  I may not be impulsive to buy things or make changes in my life, but when it comes to expressing myself, I am impulsive.  But I am running a race.  And just like runners, I do not want to sprint the whole time less I tire out and quit.  Sometimes I have to slow my pace down.  Long distance runners are constantly calculating how much distance they have left vs how many calories they have eaten to burn.  They are deliberate with their actions.  That is self-control.  And at the least, they do not quit when they get tired.  I want all of these qualities in my spiritual race.  I wan to obtain the imperishable crown for running with endurance and self-control.  I want to get to the finish line where my Father tells me how proud he is of me.  These forms of self-control are something that I have desired for a long time, and I am just not able to obtain them.  So I know that I can only get them through God.  I just have to stay in prayer for him to give me self-control.  I have put myself in enough bad situations from lack of self-control to realize that I need to pray for God's discipline to rule over me until it becomes natural to run with self-control.