Self-Discipline
Titus' Task on Crete
5The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7Since an overseer[b] is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Bee's Thoughts:
That's a strict requirement for an elder in the Church, isn't it? It has to be as one has to lead by example. If an elder can't control himself or keep his house in order, he would have problem helping others too.
Not only for elders, but also for those who wish to serve in other ministries or live godly lives. They need to have self-discipline so that the devil can't condemn them in the midst of their services. Only then can they "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (v9).
Dear Lord,
Many years have past since I know You. You have changed and moulded me a little by little, 'chipping' away my 'rough edges' and things that aren't good in Your sight. Thank You for Your patience and love even in my imperfection. Thank You for teaching me discipline in spending this devotion time with You, From glory to glory You are changing me. Praise You! Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
Being a Christian is not about living immorally all the days of a week and going to church for forgiveness on Sunday. We may be able to hide our wrongs in front of others, but we can’t hide it from God, He knows everything about us.
He also knows we can’t live recklessly, ignoring His commands all the time and be able to stop anytime when we want. Without a consistent self-discipline and self-control, we are fooling ourselves to think we will be strong enough to defend ourselves from forces of evil and temptations coming our ways.
Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for calling me to prepare my heart daily to listen and obey Your Word. To set my feet right following Your path. Teach me for making self-discipline and self-control a habit, keeping me away from the addictive power of sin. Lord, I pray that through this daily ‘practice’, You’ll makes me prepared and equipped to go out and do Your work; bringing and leading Your people to You. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.
