Bible Passage: “As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” (Acts 24:25)
Scripture Reading: Acts 24:1-27
You have a love-hate relationship with self-discipline, and so do I.
Name the two most destructive patterns in your life right now, or your greatest regrets from your past.
A lack of self-control will be present in most or all of them.
Consider your sexual sins, addiction to screens, and chronic overspending. Remember the anger, reactivity, and/or chronic criticism that strains or destroyed relationships with your ex, spouse, kids, parents, or friends. See the areas where apathy and laziness have strangled the life of God in you and the life God is calling you to live.
Now flip the script.
The best decisions and patterns in your life are probably linked to self-control.
The people you want to be like, the family you wish to emulate, and the entrepreneur, manager, leader, athlete, or neighbor you admire most all got to where they are today through self-discipline.
Self-discipline isn’t at the top of most men’s life goals, but having it is part of the good life with Jesus—and the lack of it can easily ruin us.
This is old news. Proverbs says, “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city… Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 25:28)
Acts 24 records Paul preaching the Gospel of “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” to Felix, a prominent governing leader of that day, who was torn between the allure of Paul’s words and the threat of them.
The good life we long for requires self-control.
We know this, and we fear it.
Fear of missing out grips us. In the grip of lust, our bodies scream for satisfaction and promise ruin to those who resist. We spend foolishly because we’re convinced that if we don’t have/do that thing, we’ll have missed out on life to the full. Disciplined spending, sexuality, eating, praying, serving, and speaking require effort and an end to our old way of life.
Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat this necessary transformation: He calls us to die to ourselves so we might live with Him (Matthew 10:39).
We long for this, and we fear it. We have a love-hate relationship with self-discipline.
Gentlemen, Jesus is inviting us to participate in the life He is still living. There is no better way to live, but joining Him means being a man who walks in self-discipline.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your way is compelling and also challenging. I long for a closer walk with You but fear the cost and change. Give me clarity on areas You want me to learn self-discipline in, and protect me from the lies that arise and tell me it’s not possible. Show me the way out of ___________. Come, Holy Spirit, and empower a life of righteousness and self-control. Amen.
Reflection: Consider an area of your life where self-discipline has enabled you to live well and find success. Consider an area where a lack of self-discipline has hurt you or those you love. What differences do you notice in how you approach each area?
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