Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Titus 2:6

Titus 2:6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

So, of all the possible things for Paul to mention concerning young men, self-control is all he writes. That this is all may indicate that self-control is a major issue for younger men. Lust, anger, spiritual discipline, the stuff he's about to write to slaves -- all relate to self-control. The definition (Webster's, not inspired) I used above was "restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires."

Restraint: careful, well-thought out; not foolishly passionate
Over: The self-controlled will wins over more short-lived passions
Impulses: take a back-seat to the will empowered by the Holy Spirit
Emotions: Certainly important, but again, the true self controls even the emotions (see Neh 8:9).
Desires: Desires, like emotions, can be God-given or sinful. The self-controlled man submits his desires to the word to test and form them.

May I be in the word and in fellowship with God so that I have the power to be self-controlled - submitting all my desires, emotions and impulses to what I know is true. May these flow, more and more, from my communion with God so that less self-control is necessary to restrain sinful impulses, etc. Instead, my impulses, emotions and desires will already be what is pleasing to God.

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