Is it your goal to grow in Christ? Growing as a Christian is not something that happens by acci-dent. It only takes place when we set our minds to do so. The failure to determine to grow will result in being a babe in Christ far too long (Hebrews 5:11-14).

Peter helps us to grow in Christ by giving us specific targets at which to aim. He tells us to supplement our faith with seven other characteristics. In our last blog, I emphasized the importance of adding virtue and knowledge to our faith. In this one, I want to look at the importance of having self-control.

2 Peter 1:5-6 (ESV)
⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control…

The Greek word for self-control means, “the ability to take a grip of oneself.” Have you ever heard the saying “get a grip?” That is what temperance is all about—having a grip on our emotions and feelings, which allows us to dictate our behavior. When our emotions are out of control, our actions usually reflect it, and our overall lives spiral out of control.

Aristotle mentions three states of life. “The state in which reason has been entirely subjugated to passion—that’s unbridled lust; the state in which reason fights but passion prevails—that’s incon-tinence; the state in which reason fights against passion and reason prevails—that’s temperance.”

It is this third state that Aristotle described that we should strive to maintain. Paul did.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)
²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

We need to run the race of Christianity as if we were running in a physical race where only one person wins the prize. This is why runners in physical races run so hard and give their all. They know that they have to beat every other runner if they want the primary prize. We know that in this spiritual race, more than one is going to get the prize; however, we need to run as if we were in a physical race. That’s Paul’s point. We need to give our absolute best as if only one would receive the prize, and we want to be that one.

The one thing that most runners have in common in a physical race is the self-control to train and run hard. Paul describes the rigid self-control that he employed to win the imperishable prize of heaven. He always kept his body under control because he knew that was the only way he could win. In the end, he had total confidence that he had won the race and would be rewarded with a crown of righteousness (1 Timothy 4:6-8).

Are you living your life with the same self-control that Paul exercised? If not, add it to your faith before it is too late.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.