TO BE SELF-CONTROLLED MEANS TO CONTROL YOUR DESIRES AND APPETITES INSTEAD OF LETTING THEM CONTROL YOU.
Bible Reading of the Day: Read 1 Peter 1:13-16.
Verse of the Day: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV).
“Mom, please, please, please!” Enrique clasped his hands together as if he were praying and rocked in front of his mother in the discount store aisle.
“No, Enrique,” she said. “Your birthday is still two weeks away.”
“But I want the Super Graphics Game System now!” Enrique said. “Can’t you just get it for me now?”
Mom shook her head.
“What difference does it make?” Enrique asked, an impatient edge entering his voice. “It won’t make any difference if you buy it for me now or later.”
“Maybe not,” Mom said, shrugging. “But I think it could make a big difference.” “How?” Enrique asked.
“Well, Enrique,” Mom said, “part of my job as your mother is to help you grow up to be a responsible young man. I want you to become a young man who knows how to control his desires and his appetites.”
“What do you mean, appetites? I’m not even hungry! I just want a Super Graphics Game System!”
“I know, and you want it now, don’t you?”
“Yes!”
“But if I get you a Super Graphics Game System now, I’m not helping you learn how to wait for the things you want, and how to learn self-control.” “Oh, come on, Mom, you’re just trying to torture me!”
“No,” Mom said, laughing. “I’m not trying to torture you; I’m trying to teach you self-control. I’m trying to teach you how to control your desires instead of letting them control you. That’s a very important lesson to learn.”
Enrique rolled his eyes. “Oh, man,” he said. “What if I promise you I’ll be really self-controlled from now on?”
Mom shrugged. “Well, then, maybe I’d get you a Super Graphics Game System.” “Really?”
Mom smiled mischievously. “For your birthday-in two weeks.” Enrique sighed and shook his head. “All right! You win. I’ll wait.”
TO DISCUSS: What are some of the things for which you, like Enrique, have a difficult time waiting? Do we always have to wait for the things we really want? Why or why not? What can we learn by waiting?
TO PRAY: “God, we know that you want us to be self-controlled. Help us to control our desires instead of letting our desires control us. And teach us to be holy because we know you are holy.”
