For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.- 2 Peter 1:5-8 -
One of the most difficult parts of maturity, for anyone of any age, is mastering self-control. It is especially difficult in a time and place like the United States, where taking care of self is a national value. And yet, as we covered in team camp, selfishness is the root of almost every sin.
Self-control is important, but one area of self-control that can be overlooked is that we often don't like to admit that we have control. We somehow think that if we have good excuses, that it somehow removes the blame from ourselves. In tennis practice, I've heard lots of things. "I can't make myself work hard because I don't feel well." Or, "There's just a lot going on right now." Or every day there's a different injury that prevents you from distance running when it's time.
Constant excuses are a disguised lack of self-control. It's a way to put the problem elsewhere, instead of with ourselves. Instead of admitting that we can do something, we pretend that we would really like to, but this excuse is standing in our way.
So let's stop giving ourselves excuses, and start to take some control. In really difficult situations, we always have the choice of attitude. When we find ourselves trailing in a match, tired at the end of practice, frustrated in the middle of a drill, not wanting to finish a homework assignment, or whatever life brings at us; we'll choose an attitude of confidence, an attitude that is positive, an attitude that is focused.
We will be a team who accepts that we have the power to control ourselves, and refuses to make excuses.
Self-control is important, but one area of self-control that can be overlooked is that we often don't like to admit that we have control. We somehow think that if we have good excuses, that it somehow removes the blame from ourselves. In tennis practice, I've heard lots of things. "I can't make myself work hard because I don't feel well." Or, "There's just a lot going on right now." Or every day there's a different injury that prevents you from distance running when it's time.
Constant excuses are a disguised lack of self-control. It's a way to put the problem elsewhere, instead of with ourselves. Instead of admitting that we can do something, we pretend that we would really like to, but this excuse is standing in our way.
So let's stop giving ourselves excuses, and start to take some control. In really difficult situations, we always have the choice of attitude. When we find ourselves trailing in a match, tired at the end of practice, frustrated in the middle of a drill, not wanting to finish a homework assignment, or whatever life brings at us; we'll choose an attitude of confidence, an attitude that is positive, an attitude that is focused.
We will be a team who accepts that we have the power to control ourselves, and refuses to make excuses.
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