Christian Self-Control (Part 2)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)


The last thing on my mind when I was a non-Christian was to be doing something for God's glory. What in the world would this even mean, or look like? There is a dear woman the Lord brought into our lives before my wife and I were saved. She is 88 years old now and a wonderful friend. My wife used to talk to her from time to time. When my wife would try to give her a compliment, Granny would always reflect the compliment away from herself and onto God. She would (and still does) function as a springboard. Not wanting any of the glory to stay and stick on her, she would spring in up to where she knew it belonged. This was very, very odd to us. We had never heard someone talk who was so "glory to God focused." We would be like, "hey I am trying to give YOU a compliment here, not God. Take it, and swim around in the compliment for a while, it feels really good." But our dear friend wanted nothing to do with any praise landing on her.

Though I know sanctification is a process, the Christian begins to see all of life as no longer being about ME anymore, but begins to be about the ONE who made me. We begin to function as springboards that reflect the praise up to the One who alone deserves praise and glory.

My post yesterday spoke on the topic of self-control. I mentioned that there was a difference between being self-controlled, and the fruit of the Spirit, which is self-control. The difference I believe, is that the fruit the Spirit begins to produce in the heart of the Christian, is a self-control with two motives that the non-Christian doesn't have. The Christian is self-contolled in reigning in and restricting oneself according to a new desire (motive) to be obedient to the Scriptures, and a desire to control oneself for the glory of God.

If you would have observed my life, at times, as a non-Christian, it probably would have appeared to you that I was more self-controlled then I am now. I was vigorous in my exercising, and counted calories to the tea. I did indeed restrain and restrict myself in these ways, but in other ways; like my private life and the life of the mind, I gave full vent to indulgence and unconstraint.

As a Christian now, I no longer am as obsessed with my eating and exercising as I was. Mostly that was not so much for health reasons as it was for appearance reasons. But my private life and the life of the mind are now directed by the motives of obedience to the Scriptures and God's glory. The longer I live, the more I will be able to say, "whether I eat or drink, or whatever I am doing, I do it all for the glory of God."

I am in no way on a level of the Apostle Paul. I have so much to learn, and many feet to grow, but before the cross of Christ, we all stand on level ground.