Self Control

Sometime last week, I read a verse in my quiet time that has been stuck in my head. It has spoken to me in many different ways.

 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8

"Be self-controlled"; It stands out so much to me because God knows that I need this pressed on my heart. I am in control of my life; not satan. 

"Stay alert"; the devil is ALWAYS trying to get inside your mind and flip the switch. When I think that I 'cant do' something, that is the devil telling me that I am not able to do it. But I know that I can do ANYTHING thru Jesus Christ who gives me strength.

"The devil is always prowling around you looking for someone to devour". I don't want that to be me! I want to live a faithful life. Have a gracious heart and learn and live more like Jesus.

My perfect example:  I don't like getting up at 4:20 each morning to get a workout in before work....but that is the time that I have for me and the only time it will get done. So, when my alarm goes off... I remind my self that the devil will try to convince me that I need that extra 45 minutes of sleep and not to get out of bed. So, honestly most mornings, I have to roll my self off the bed! I will either hit the floor or catch myself; either way - I am up! I am human, so there are mornings when the devil wins and I sleep.... I HATE IT! Through out the day, I regret not working out and it weighs heavy on me. So more and more I have become aware of when I am not in control and I am trying to prevent it from happening. 

When I do not spend daily time with my Bible, the devil seeps in a little bit more. Your greatest defense against the devil is knowing the promises of Jesus. If you don't know His promises, how can you defeat the devil?!

Since my last blog; I have become more aware of what I need in my life. That blog opened doors in my heart. Since writing it, my heart has healed some wounds, and has a different feeling. It is amazing!! :) My focus is where it needs to be. When I wrote that, I had only hoped that my heart would change, I am glad to report that the things I have done to change it have helped me! :)

The other night, I woke up out of a great deep sleep (I am sure that it was Jesus talking to me because who does that? Who wakes up and automatically thinks something out of the blue? I have never done it). I said to myself "Jesus is my strength, I can do anything thru Him". I kept repeating it and fell back asleep (maybe that was all a dream, I am not sure but either way He spoke to me :)) and have never forgotten it. Jesus knows when His children are slipping away from him (I was unaware that I was one of them). He knew exactly how to touch my heart and heal me.

I am comfortably sitting in His embrace once again! Right where I should be! Right where EVERYONE should be!

Have a very blessed day friends!