Words of Encouragement – Self-Control

Galatians 5:22-25

22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. (NLT)

When we give our lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ we are to take all our passions, desires and sinful nature and nail them to the cross of Christ. We are to leave them there where they have been crucified with Christ. Our new life in Christ is now to be led by the Holy Spirit. In order to grow we must give up self and put on the new person in Christ. As we say yes to the Holy Spirit and let Him lead He will help us to produce fruit to the praise and glory of God.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control will now become our way of life. The very first fruit that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in your life is love. Without love the other eight fruits of the Spirit are meaningless that is why it must start with love. God is love therefore we must begin with God’s kind of love which is unconditional love. As we love one another we learn to love others and then we see how God loves and then we love as God loves. We were created because of love, Jesus went to the cross because of love and the Holy Spirit came because of love, so then, it begins with love and it ends with love and everything in the middle is because of love. Jesus says love as I have loved you. Go therefore into this world and love as Jesus has loved you and gave Himself for you. Share the love of the Gospel which is Jesus dying on the cross because of His great love.

Words of Encouragement will return February, 4^th.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Self-Control

2 Peter 1:5-8

5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT)

 

Walking with Jesus is a benefit and a benefit is something that is good for us. Read the above verses a couple of times through. As we walk with Christ the walk is progressive. One thing leads to another and one thing builds upon another. Faith produces moral excellence, moral excellence produces knowing God better, knowing God better produces self-control, self-control produces patient endurance, patient endurance produces godliness, godliness produces genuine love for our Christian brothers and sisters and this produces love for the unlovable. We are to grow and we are to produce fruit as we walk with Jesus. God has a plan and a purpose for your life. He leaves no one out but includes everyone and has a plan for each one. Each one of us is valuable to God and He loves each one of us deeply. Praise God because He thinks of you every day, he has a plan for you and it is wonderful.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Self-Control

Titus 2:11-12

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, (NLT)

The grace of God, Jesus Christ, has been revealed and has brought salvation to those who believe. To those who believe we are instructed to turn away from godless or ungodly living and sinful pleasures and turn to Christ our Lord. We are to live in this world by the control, teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit. We are to have self-controlled lives, to have right conduct in our lives and to live our lives totally devoted to God.

Self-Control: Spirit lead life

Right Conduct: Obeying the Scriptures

Devoted to God: Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Titus 2:1-2

But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have strong faith and be filled with love and patience. (NLT)

As we draw closer to Christ our lives need to reflect right teaching. We need to be an example to others, be respectful, live wisely and exercise self-control. Our faith must be strong not indulging ourselves in the world but our lives are to reflect love, patience and control of the Holy Spirit. As we grow in Christ we need to help others in their journey and growth in Christ. We must be continually moving forward toward Christ. Promote this kind of living so that others will be drawn to Christ through you.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Gentleness

1 Corinthians 9:24-26

24 Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. 25 All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. (NLT)

In our spiritual walk with Christ we need to have self-control. We have been made new in Christ therefore we need to follow Christ and be more like Him every day. We are to be disciplined disciples of Jesus and that takes self-control. Jesus said to deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow Him. Leave the old life behind and press forward in the new life you have in Christ. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help you with self-control so that Christ can be glorified through you as you are obedient to Him and follow through with His will for you. You have been called to a higher calling, a greater calling and much more glorious calling then this world could ever offer. Let the Holy Spirit teach you to be self-controlled to the glory and praise of Jesus.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Gentleness

Ephesians 4:1-7

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.

4 We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. 5 There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. (NLT)

Only scripture says it best. We are to live a life worthy of our calling and it is God who has called us to this life in Christ that we are to live. We are to be humble, gentle and patient with each other. We are to forgive and to make allowances for each other’s faults because of the love of Christ. We have all been called by God to one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one future all in Christ. We each have received a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. There is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. Therefore we are to live each day for the Lord and not for ourselves but letting our lives shine forth for Christ as beacons to the world.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Gentleness

1 Peter 3:13-17

13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't be afraid and don't worry. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! (NLT)

It is difficult to harm or to accuse someone who is always eager to do good. If we do suffer for doing what is right God will reward you for it. So then don’t worry or be afraid for God is on your side and in His time He will expose the wrong doers or those who are trying to make you suffer. As the saying goes “what goes around comes around.” Those who cause problems, falsely accuse others or lie in the end will have what they have done come to light for the truth always comes to the surface. And for those who have caused the trouble it will come back on them and there evil will be revealed. Therefore we need to live our lives with a clear conscience and do what is right in God’s sight so that others will ask us about the hope that is within us. Then you must explain to them in a gentle and respectful way of that hope you have within you. Do not share in a harsh or judgmental way but in a gentle way that is pleasing to the Lord. You belong to Christ and you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. If you do suffer do it with the joy of the Lord knowing He is with you. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Gentleness

1 Timothy 6:11

11 But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. (NLT)

 

As with Timothy so are we. We belong to God, and belonging to God we are to pursue a godly life. As we pursue the godly life in Christ we are to be built up in faith, love, patience and gentleness. And how do we do this? We do this by spending time with those who are further along in their walk with Christ then we are so that we can learn and grow. Secondly, we need to spend a lot of time reading the scriptures and spending a lot of time in prayer search God’s will for our lives. Pursuing a godly life in Christ takes effort, persistence and obedience. Pursuing a godly life is a pursuit of a higher and better standard. God pursued us through Jesus Christ and now we are to pursue God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength in Christ Jesus.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Gentleness

Colossians 3:12-15

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (NLT)

Since we have been called and chosen by God to be His holy people we must clothe ourselves with the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Put on tenderhearted mercy for those who are perishing and need Christ. Put on kindness to show the grace of Christ. Put on humility to show the arrogant the way of Christ. Put on gentleness to show the caring of Christ. Put on patience to show the endurance of Christ and bind them all together with Love so that Jesus is the ruler of your heart. Forgive as you have been forgiven and love as you have been loved by Christ.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Gentleness

Proverbs 15:1-4

1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.

2 The wise person makes learning a joy; fools spout only foolishness.

3 The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

4 Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. (NLT)

You are in a situation and this person is yelling at you, what do you do?

Normally or humanly we respond by getting defensive and yelling back. But that actually makes the situation worse. What do you do? Proverb says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.” Being calm and gentle is what God instructs us to do and it actually works. When you use gentle and calming words this does defuse the situation. If they continue then you continue being calm, gentle and forgiving. This is how Christ was with you at salvation and He wants you to do the same with others. Gentle words bring life and health, therefore be as gentle and humble as Jesus. Remember, “The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.”

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Faithfulness

Isaiah 38:19

19 Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation can make known your faithfulness to the next. (NLT)

It is our responsibility to share and pass on the gospel to the next generation. We are not to focus just on those we know but on the young as well. As Deuteronomy says, (paraphrased) we are to be telling our children about Christ when they wake up, when we walk through the day with them and when they go to sleep. In other words, every chance we get with them share Christ. We need to be faithful to the next generation.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ