Devotions: The Race

and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

2 Peter 1:6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Once we have faith, virtue and knowledge, or begin down that road in them, we must add self control to our knowledge. Knowing God, being with Him, demands that we live virtuous, holy lives, and that cannot be done if we are controlled by our passions, desires, emotions, or sin. Self control is a fruit of the Spirit, it is not something natural to mankind. It is in our nature to take all we can, to gorge ourselves. But God says it is not to be that way for He has given us a spirit of love, power, and self control (2 Tim 1:7). We are to be like God, and He is completely in control of Himself, so we must strive to be so as well. In our self control, we must have perseverance. Perseverance is striving on, pushing toward the goal, never giving up. Yes, we will falter at times. No one has perfect anything, especially self-control, but when we fall, we must get up and keep going. We cannot throw the towel in. We have to keep going, keep fighting. In our perseverance we must have godliness, which is being like God. That is what we are striving toward, making ourselves more like God every day, moving past mistakes and mess-ups and pressing on as an athlete running to the finish line. We need to stay in the race no matter what happens, but to reach the finish line of godliness we need to have self control and perseverance. These are things that we work toward ourselves, but they are also things that the Spirit grows in us, so while we are working on them, we must pray and rely on the Spirit to help us achieve them. We need His strength to accomplish our goal. How are you running the race? Where do you need to work harder, and where do you need to rely more on the Spirit?

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