Since the very moment my college minister, Seth Simmons, told me he was going to be leaving to Iraq. I have been forced to think of what the future has in store for my brothers and sisters in Christ in the college group at UCC (University Church of Christ).

I have known all year, and it could be said I have been this way my entire life, that I have not put the effort I should into every area of my life. And you know something? That has to change. In order for the college group to at least remain at the level it is at. I and everyone else in the group must step up. Self control and discipline are necessities. Seth once said that how we apply ourselves in school and other areas of our lives reflects how we act in regards to our spiritual lives. For me, I know he was right. I have never really applied myself in anything. I know for a fact I’m an above average person. I can be great but I have never tried to be. That is changing.

Self Control and discipline are just a few of the things I have to work on, but I believe they are catalysts for me to improve everything else. This last Monday which was April 16, I led the devotional for the guys bible study, and I talked about self control and discipline. I had thought about doing it on hungering and thirsting for Christ. But I decided it would be better to talk about self control and discipline because discipline and self control is pivotal in our walks with Christ. Not that a hunger and thirst for him isn’t, but we need self control and discipline to fast. We need the two attributes to keep a hunger and a thirst for Christ. Self control and discipline is essential for us to fulfill the will of God. We’ve got to have self control and discipline to become great leaders. Titus 1:8 gives qualities an elder needs to have… hospitable, upright, holy, elders should love what is good, be self-controlled, and disciplined. I’m not saying we need to be elders. But an elder is a perfect example of a leader in church. Elder’s make a lot of very important decisions, they lead churches, and if any of us are to lead, I’m saying discipline and self control are things that can make us great leaders if we learn to perfect them.

Galatians 5:22 and 23 list the fruits of the spirit and among the nine fruits of the Spirit is self control. When we are tempted by the world we’ve got to learn to restrain our impulses, emotions, and actions that result in sin. We belong to Christ! 1 Peter 5:8 talks about how we need self control to combat the devil, because he is prowling around like a lion looking for something to devour. Self control is important in making a stand against Satan and temptation. So let’s crucify our sinful nature. Let’s control our sinful passions and desires for Christ Jesus. Remember we are free in Christ! We live by the Spirit, so let’s keep in Step with the Spirit. Whenever the Holy Spirit is trying to work in our lives and in the lives of others we can’t cut it off and let fear or whatever else get to us. If we do we are not exercising discipline and self control. God will give us the strength; He will give us the words to speak. I don’t know about you whom are reading this blog but I know there are times when God is moving me to go talk to someone, to say something, or to lead and I just get scared. Fear takes over and I find myself telling God it will be O.K. if I don’t go talk to that person, make that comment, or if I don’t step to the front and lead. The thing is it’s not OK, God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. If you or I don’t speak who will? That person’s salvation is at stake! God might have placed you in that very moment to reach out and show that person Christ. Don’t fail that person, but more importantly don’t fail God! Yeah he’ll forgive us, but that doesn’t make it OK, we are supposed to seek a life with Him. We are supposed to strive to be just like Him. And I know if Christ was sitting there he would say something! He wouldn’t let that person be overrun with sin. He would take away their burdens. Christ would set them free! Our words may be the only thing that someone needs to make the decision to come to Christ. I charge myself and you to let the words of God speak.

2 Peter 1:3-10 reads, “His divine power has given us every thing we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love. For if you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and elections sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall. ” Self control and discipline help keep us effective and productive in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If I’ve got self control and I’m disciplining myself you can guarantee I will take the time, day in and day out, to read my bible, learn the heart of God, and I will definitely take the time to talk to Him. Self control and discipline or correction spawns other great things. If we are self controlled and disciplined we can set ourselves apart form this world. We can become holy. If we exercise self control and discipline we can persevere and gain knowledge, from that we can achieve godliness, brotherly kindness, and finally love. And love is the Greatest of God’s Commandments. Self restraint from temptations makes us stronger and it makes us feel good about ourselves, I know personally whenever I overcome sin it helps clear my mind. I can focus on the power God gave me to get through whatever it was. I have to do what I need to clear my mind of everything but Christ. It’s so much easier to step into the presence of God when I don’t have any mind blocks.

Proverbs 10:17 says, “He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” When I read this verse I think about the phrase a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. If one person is strongly opposed to Christ or to whatever and everyone else is unsure, that one person strongly opposed can cause the others to teeter in the wrong direction. But if we stand firm in what we believe in and we stand under the power of our God we can cause people to teeter the right direction. Toward Christ! We need to remember we don’t stand alone, not only do we have Christ. But we have each other.

This next year. The college group won’t have Seth. But we will have each other to lean on. We need to remember we will always have God! This next year our love, desire, and hunger for Christ will be proven! If we truly want to grow as a group while Seth is gone, our actions will prove it. Everyone in my group is amazing and we all have gifts. We simply have to have the self control and discipline to use them. We must also take advantage of the time we have left with Seth. I believe you learn either what to do, or what not to do from people, and I can definitely learn what a lot of what to do from him. Individuals in the group also need to have enough self control and discipline to study on our own. You don’t have to be at church to learn about God! In order to prepare our hearts and minds for what is to come we will have to take initiative.

We need self control and discipline and what comes with those attributes so we can succeed in the mission Christ has set before us. If we look to God and keep in step with the Spirit we will be just fine. God can do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine; to God be the glory forever and ever (Ephesians 3:20-21).