“The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person.” ― Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change Self control is an essential preliminary step in self mastery. In self control we can agree to disagree. In self control we can forgive all men. In self control we trust that those who are against us will not spoil our life. In self control we continue choosing to do what matters most, in faith with hope for the good it will reap. In self control we can choose to show charity toward all men. In self control we learn the reason that all things were made and the practicality of the guidelines that govern their existence. In self control we can choose to build families that are empowered in principle to change the world for good in the time we share with our children and our spouse in love unfeigned. In self control we do not shout out in anger or disagreement, with fear as the reason. In self control we see with an eye of faith the good that can come from a tough situation. In self control nothing will be lost. In this scripture we see how Jesus Christ exercised self control during His crucifixion: 1 Nephi 19: 9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. In all our afflictions whether political or otherwise, as we suffer it, as Jesus did, we are empowered in self control and in justice to perform healing miracles for our neighbors in a day yet to be, as the power of life is given to us, to heal the sick by giving a loaf of bread or in donating blood or in passing an encouraging word, in diligently doing what matters most. These are no small things. In self control we can block out the excess noise in heated politics, trusting in the simplicity of our best effort in our home, not trying too hard, trusting that they that are with us are greater than they that are against us, including the angels in heaven, in our best effort to conquer our fears, and overcome our problems. As Jesus was resurrected with a perfect body after His crucifixion, so we will rise triumphant amid turmoil in the world, even when victimized at the hands of our oppressors, and we will continue in victory after the turmoil has passed as we exercise self control, choosing to become a little more like Christ who lives for us! Our enemies will become as dross or become our friends, according to the will of God, as we exercise self control. In self control we can choose to focus only on our effort today, and say at the end of the day, it is enough! In all that we learn in exercising self control we become masters of self, in self mastery! “We should every night call ourselves to an account; What infirmity have I mastered today? What passions opposed? What temptation resisted? What virtue acquired? Our vices will abort of themselves if they be brought every day to the shrift.” ― Seneca
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 22:18:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015