Well, within two chapters of 1 Peter God has mentioned self-control. First in 1 Peter 4:7 where he tells us to be clear minded and self-controlled so that we can pray and now in 5:8, telling us to be self-controlled and alert because the devil is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.
What a picture, right? The devil roaming around like a lion searching for its prey to take down and dismember. Scary if you ask me.
So why does self-control and alertness help us in this world? I had to do some thinking and praying on this one. Here is what the Holy Spirit showed me and since this little topic has come up twice now, I figured I'd better pay attention.
Each of us has weaknesses that pull us down. Little things that pull us a little more towards the devil's side and away from our closeness to God. Now, as Christians we can't be separated from the love of God as long as we still believe in Him, but the more we let our weaknesses pull us away, the fellowship we have with Him and dedication we have towards Him are put in danger.
We have to ask God for help. We can't just think that we can handle these little dilemmas on our own. The devil wants nothing else but to pull us over to his side, so he is going to use what he can against us, and what better areas to prowl than where we are easily sucked in?
So, if nothing else, this little nudge from God, His repeating something to me to get my attention, shows me to stop and pray about what exactly my flaws may lie and where I need the most help from Him to build resistance.
How about you? Do you know where your shortcomings lie when it comes to self-control? Have you stopped to ask Him about what they are and for His help in overcoming them?
As a little added note, dont' you just love the imagery Peter is using in this chapter. We go from sheperding sheep to watching out for lions on the prowl. Life is a jungle, people!
No comments:
Post a Comment