No FEAR

In 1933, Martin Neimoller, a Lutheran pastor, heard Adolph Hitler speak. His wife asked him what he thought and he said, "I percieve that Herr Hitler is a terribly frightened man."

Fear is the biggest enemy of love. 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."

When we love, we treat people the way that builds them and brings out their best. When we fear, we don't act with confidence, so we undermine the very good things we long to see in others.

What would we do differently if we had love as our motivation instead of fear?

Doing the "Right Thing"

There is a basic rule I live by:
"Do the right thing, and eventually, it will pay off."

The problem with this way of viewing life is that the "right thing" is often the most difficult option. To do what is right, we have to learn to "control our bodies", "take our thoughts captive" and "crucify our flesh."

I read this great quote the other day: "Temperance comes from consistently making the right decisions by crucifying the flesh daily and learning how to control your appetite. Just because you crave something does not mean you need it. As the head goes, so goes the body." (Drew Shockley, Ministry Today, Feb. 2010, 41)

God, please help me to control my appetites today, so that I am spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally healthy in the future.