The Uncontrolled Self

I recently read a devotional on the topic of the uncontrolled self. The writer powerfully stated that "the uncontrolled self is a deadly force. It wills to defy or ignore God. Idolizing, exalting, celebrating, and indulging oneself as one's god is the root cause of all the shame, folly, decadence, and moral blindness that mark modern Western culture so ruinously." 

The writer here (in this case, J. I. Packer) get's it right. Every single one of us is born into this world with a orientation that is not centered on God or even others. Our bent from the get-go is SELF (and if you need evidence for this, just volunteer to serve in your church's nursery or preschool ministry and the self-centeredness of the human soul will most certainly raise its ugly head).

For those of us who have chosen to follow Christ . . . we have been given a new orientation by Jesus himself. He tells us that the two greatest commandments are first, to love God with all that we are and have, and the second, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:34-39). But to reorient ourselves requires a lot of hard effort on our part (2 Peter 1:5-11). Now I know from experience that it can get frustrating and downright discouraging as we strive to change ... but never lose site that God himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit is at work within you, cultivating HIS fruit in your heart (Galatians 5:22-23).

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj