Northcoast Home

Thoughts on Titus & Self-Control

10:41, Tuesday, February 13, 2007 .. Posted in God Breezes .. 2 comments .. Link

Titus 2:3-5 says as older women we are to have behavior becoming holiness, not malicious gossips or false accusers.

Not slaves to any addictions, to be teachers of what is right.

We are to teach younger women to have affection and friendships with their husbands and children.

We are to be of sound mind, self-controlled, and to be discreet.

We are to be pure, modest, and free from defilement, and a keeper and guard of our home, domestically inclined.

We should be kind and good to benefit others, doing useful work.

Wives are under the authority of their husband.

We do all of this so the word of God may not be defamed.

At a mom's meeting last night, one of the mothers read aloud the book of Titus. She did it in a very convicting way! It was excellent really and what I needed to hear.

Afterward we went over the meaning of some of the words. Many things stood out to me especially being self-controlled. I struggle with that in many areas: eating, spending, laziness, selfishness, what comes out of my mouth, etc...

The meaning of the word self-controlled (sophron & sophronos): A person who places voluntary limitations on his own freedom with proper thinking. Sensible, heedful of consequences, prudent, wise, using good judgment, temperate and restrained, discreet, sober, a person with a sound mind, marked by self-restraint, not excessive or violent.

The wonderful thing is, although these things seem hard to obtain, they really aren't. Titus 2:11-14 says: For the GRACE of God that brings SALVATION has appeared to ALL men, TRAINING us to renounce ungodliness, renounce worldly passions, to live SELF-CONTROLLED, upright and godly lives, IN THIS AGE waiting for our blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to REDEEM US from all lawlessness, to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are ZEALOUS FOR GOOD WORKS!

Our gift of grace brings us salvation and if we are saved than God is training us to be self-controlled. Just as we train up our children, God is training us up. If we are not being self-controlled we are being disobedient; we aren't living the way God wants us to live. In verse 5 it says we do these things so that the word of God may not be reviled, that word, reviled, is blashemeo in the Greek, and it means: to defame, speak evil, hurt the reputation. So if we aren't obeying God we are hurting His reputation and defaming His word!

I believe that God's grace covers a multitude of my sins, but I also know that a lot of my sin is a selfish choice I make, even when the Holy Spirit is prompting me to obey, I choose not to. This is sin that hurts God and ruins the life God wants me to live. God only wants the best for me, and just as I do with my own children, he sets rules and boundaries for my own good. If I choose to reject his laws than I can expect consequences.

I am going to give my will over to God. I will do my best to obey, not to be selfish and think I know more than Him, to not live in fear, and to put my trust in Him. God says He didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound-mind. This is His word! If we don't have these things it is because of us! We let the devil rule our lives, not God.

I will also try and listen when the Holy Spirit is speaking to me, and not tune out because at the time it feels better to do what I'm doing. I will remember that there are consequences. I will pray for His strength to carry out these things, because I cannot do it in my own power. I want to live the best life God has for me! I want to be able to share my blessings with others, to be an example of God's word and be zealous for good works!

Northcoast Home

Thoughts on Titus & Self-Control

Untitled Comment

Wow!

About Me

Links

Categories

Recent Entries

Friends