Gtcotr/ss101611
Many people have “control issues”, and sad to say … these same people are almost always, out of control.
How about you? Have you ever considered if you have “control issues”? Let me put it another way: Have you ever been out of control? If you have ever been out of control, you have control issues!
Let’s take a look at:
Galatians 5
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
I tell you again, if we walk in the Spirit, we will not be out of control and acting all ungodly. How can we then walk in the Spirit?
The battle is in the minds of every man and woman, boy and girl and he who wins the battle, wins control. It was so in the beginning in the Garden of Eden when Eve lost control. The battle was all fought and lost in her mind.
2 Corinthians 10
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
How can we cast down imaginations and pull down strongholds? By renewing our mind.
Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We renew our mind by the same way we renew anything else. The word renew means to “renovate”, not “restore”. How does a person renovate their mind? Simple … out with the bad, in with the good.
Philemon 6 Our faith may become effective by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in us in Christ.
Paul wrote these books to the Believers in Christ.
As Believers we renew our minds with the Word of God. And, it is not a one time process … we must continue to throw out the bad that tries to get in, take root and produce fruit. As well, we must do more than throw out the bad, we must also replace it with the good Word of God.
When we plant the seeds of the Word of God in our heart and acknowledge it in our mind it begins to produce fruit … spiritual fruits … the fruits of the Spirit instead of the results or works of the flesh.
Go to the Word of God and believe it. Accept the Word of God as final authority and practice it in daily life.
When you find your thoughts or feelings are in opposition to the Word, consider yourself to be wrong and force yourself to think, feel and do right by encouraging yourself to do what the Word says.
Feelings will lead you into the works of the flesh and then heresy will attempt to justify your actions by blaming them on other things just like Eve … all works of the flesh and exhibitions of a life out of control.
If you are experiencing control issues, here are three things you can do:
1. Check yourself
2. Challenge yourself
3. Change
Don’t live life out of control.
A life unchecked and unchallenged is a life unchanged.
