Daily Devotional: Tuesday, March 2

Speaker: Ben Sigman

Theme: Self-Control

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Happy Day by Tim Hughes; No Not Oneby Christy Nockels; Sing to the King by Passion Worship Band; Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin.

READ:  Matthew 5:28-30 & Matthew 6:22-23

THINK: You've heard the saying" the eyes are the window to the soul", I think this statement is so true. Do you remember when you were a kid and you were watching TV or a movie with your parents and when a scary part came on they would always say, "Cover your eyes or you'll have nightmares!" They knew those images were difficult to shake. Once they're in our brain it's hard to get rid of them!

It seems funny that I got the warning as a little kid but never once as a teenager did my dad ever say to me while at the beach, "Cover your eyes son or you'll be tempted to sin!"   It sounds funny just hearing the two analogies, but knowing what I know now, I am more sensitive about what my kids watch on TV or see on the Internet than parents of an earlier generation.

In listening to Pastor Ben's sermon, I reflected on Matthew 5:28-30. I don't believe there is any clearer bible verse that better describes self-control especially when it comes to our eyes and what we see: "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."  

I've heard some great ways to proactively deal with temptations. Here are just a few examples I know of to help master self-control against lust or other temptations:  

• Choosing to never be alone with someone of the opposite sex - even a coworker - other than your spouse (learned this one from Billy Graham!)
• Asking for the movie channel to be turned off in a hotel room when traveling
• Asking for phone calls at 12:00 am from accountability groups or trusted friend while in especially tempting places or situations like Las Vegas 
• Purchasing Internet filtering software like Cyber Sitter or Net Nanny   

God wants us to take seriously what we allow in our lives - He knows the power of what we see and what we think about. It so often is the beginning of a road to sin. Just like our passage from the Book of Matthew, do whatever you need to do to protect yourself from even starting down that road.   

DO: In so many cases kids or adults have stumbled upon pornography that soon became an addiction or led to destructive behaviors! Don't let your eyes make you stumble today. Realize that you are human, that you need to do your part to protect yourself from sin. Be strong in your faith, build boundaries in your life to protect when you are weak.

PRAY: Dear Lord, I pray that you protect me, guide me and mold me into the Christian you want me to be. I pray that you grant me the strength to make this the last day that I struggle with self-control, especially with my lustful eyes. Show me the boundaries I need to set TODAY to make sure I honor You in what I see and what I think about. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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