In Control

I love how God will create a spark in your spirit when reading the Bible. I was in 1 Peter 4 this morning and read this verse: "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." I had to stop at this point because I knew that this was a verse that I needed to meditate on. The actions of being clear-minded and self-controlled are game changers--big time disciplines that influence every part of our day-to-day life and help determine our future.

What does it mean to be clear minded and self-controlled?

Clear minded: singular in purpose, allowing no distractions to take you away from your goals, focused on what God desires for you, acting in compassion, patient, productive, goal-oriented instead of task driven, able to see paths that God is opening up for you, having awareness of people around you & their life journey, accepting of criticism as an opportunity to grow, resolute in your pursuit of godly vision.

Self-controlled: not allowing emotions to drive your reactions, avoiding temptations that threaten to overwhelm you, choosing the right thing even when it's a difficult decision, maintaining spiritual & physical discipline when you don't feel like it, acting calmly with patient wisdom in difficult times, recognizing potential distractions and choosing to avoid them, proactive and not reactive to situations.

This is by no means comprehensive, but it is the beginning of what this looks like for my own intimacy with God to increase.