Building a Life Worth Living: Building Self-Control

It seems that not much time passes these days between stories of mass murder in our country. The attempted assassination of a Congresswoman in Arizona; moviegoers gunned down in Colorado; worshippers attacked in Wisconsin. Crazy or not, the killers have something in common—a complete lack of self-control over their own antisocial behavior.
Contrast those infamous characters with Olympic athletes who recently competed in London, England. During the past four years, the men and women who participated in the Olympic games spent hours each day perfecting their skills. Exhibiting extraordinary self-control, they ran countless miles, swam countless laps, shot basketballs and arrows, rowed boats and rode bikes, jumped on trampolines, wrestled, vaulted, and tumbled.
It’s hard for me to comprehend either extreme. How can a person abandon human civility and cause such mayhem? On the other hand, how can a person hit a shuttlecock back and forth for eight hours a day?
The writers of the Bible talk a lot about self-control. Apparently, the lack thereof has been a longstanding problem. When building a life worth living, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
First, be mindful of the fact that the loss of self-control could have eternal consequences. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he encouraged them to be like athletes preparing for a race. In his analogy, he reminded them that the stakes were high. They were not racing for a wreath or medals; the prize was an eternity in heaven.
Second, be grateful that Jesus had perfect self-control. Think of all the times He was tempted to sin. Never did He give in!
There were thrilling victories throughout the recent Olympic games. There were some catastrophic failures as well. One diver scored a less-than-perfect 0.00 when he landed flat on his back. One commentator called it the “worst dive in Olympics history.” An American track star fell in the finals of a race and lost her dream of winning a gold medal. Each athlete trained for years only to be disappointed.
Your Savior has already won the prize of heaven for you. Still, don’t run aimlessly or box as one beating the air. Discipline yourself. Ask God for help when you feel weak. Stand on Jesus’ forgiveness when you falter. I’m sure it would be awesome to stand on the podium with an Olympic medal draped over your neck. It’ll be more awesome standing beside your Savior in heaven someday!
Daniel Madson is a former school teacher and a member of Abiding Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.