I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won’t lose out after telling the good news to others. 1 Corinthians 9:27 (CEV)
Paul the Apostle talks about the internal struggle we all face:
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. Romans 7:15 (NLT)
There is a tendency for us to do the things that we feel are pleasing to us in the moment. Those actions are often against what God wants us to do. Paul is being very open and transparent. He’s stating that he knows what is right, but he just doesn’t do it. If we are honest with ourselves, we can probably relate to Paul. Oftentimes we know what is right (based on God’s Word), but we still choose to do what we want to do (or the thing we know we shouldn’t be doing).
How do we overcome this pattern of behavior? Later in the Bible (Corinthians) Paul tells us how he does it. He states that I keep my body under control and make it my slave. He is trying to tell us that he doesn’t give himself a choice – he does what God wants him to do instead. What could you do to make your body be under control? Maybe you force yourself to get up on time so you can read the Bible by placing your alarm clock across the room, rather than sleeping in. Maybe you force yourself to pray at a specific time each day, rather than spending that time watching television. Maybe you force yourself to live according to God’s standard, rather than living however you want. The point is your body doesn’t want to do it, but you already know what is right. Make a decision to keep your body under control. What is one thing you can do today to keep your body under control?