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Monday, August 27, 2007
Self-Control: In Step With the Spirit
Genesis 39:1-9; 2 Peter 1:1-8
St. Paul surprises us -- or at least me -- when he names self-control as the final piece of his metaphorical "Fruit of the Spirit." (Galatians 5:22-23)
It seems contradictory at first glance. Wouldn't you think anything about the self would fit better in his dirty-laundry list of "works of the flesh"? (Galatians 5:19-21)
But he's not talking here about some kind of self-help spirituality. As in, "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps." That would be like planting your feet firmly in mid-air, which sooner than later will land you right where Wile E. Coyote always ends up -- or down! [We pause here for you to visualize him running in place 3 feet beyond the edge of a cliff, etc. Now, where were we?]
In fact, self-control shows up several places in the New Testament as one sure way to know that God is working faithfully in your life of faith.
In the Old Testament, I think of Joseph's example in Genesis 39. It's a story that could easily win an Emmy for best soap opera episode of the year. And it's the turning point in my message this time.
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posted by Jack Buckley at
11:13 AM
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