Gluttony, Self-Control, and Me

Dr. Mike 2026 , , , , ,

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control…For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 2 Peter 1:5-10

Liturgical churches practice Lent before the arrival of Passion Week and Easter. They practice this discipline as a reminder of Jesus’ temptation at the start of HIS ministry. Most will choose fasting from food. Others may choose sacrificing something else. But the focus is disciplining their body under the auspices of the Holy Spirit. The process is to become more like Jesus in one area of their life.

I personally do not observe Lent. But I am all for practicing disciplines to become more like Jesus. This is one of the roles of a disciple. To take part with Jesus in actions which transform the human heart. To become more like HIM in attitude, desires, and actions.

Most often I am led to define a personal weakness and then select an opposing discipline to practice. Over-the-years we have gone to the spiritual gym and worked out specific areas. Each routine becomes the focus of transformation with the help of the Holy Spirit. For example, greed is overcome by generosity. Too-much-talk is introduced to silence. A self-centered viewpoint is dismantled through a Triune God worldview. Laziness discovers diligence. Loneliness meets community. Religiosity is set aside with relationship. Lordship is replaced with servant-hood; and many more. (The longer you live, the more opportunities you have to practice.)

This season of life we are taking on one area that I have refrained until now. It is one of the largest strongholds still possessing me. As I have mentioned at times, I love to eat. I eat whenever there is a reason too. I eat to celebrate. I eat to comfort. I eat to remove boredom. I eat to please my sweet tooth. I may occasionally eat because the body needs more nourishment. As the old joke goes, you can call me anything, as long as you don’t call me late for dinner.

It is one area of my life that the walls of the city are broken. If I be true to God and myself, it is time to rebuild the wall. So, we start again. This time with the intentional purpose to put in place long-term disciplines. Practices that will allow the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to complete HIS work in me. To create the internal condition of self-control in my desires for food.

The Spirit of self-control is evident in many other areas of this life. But with food, I have never made the commitment to totally surrender its mastery over me to our Lord. There have been short periods of time where HIS fruit led the way. But for many reasons, we succumb back to our inner, deep desires. So now we begin again. We begin with grace. We will proceed with grace. We will end with grace. For without grace, I would not attempt this again.

So here we go. Gluttony disbanded with Spirit-led self-control. Our desire is to enjoy food with temperance, gratitude and moderation. Holy Spirit, let us go to work.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Turning Prayer into Action

Dr. Mike 2026 , , , ,

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:9-13

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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7

One business skill-set that has made the largest impact in my personal life is the development of a process. A process is the step-by-step procedure to follow towards a meaningful outcome. Though one tries to control the outcome, in most cases one learns it is the process one only can control. The outcome is usually dependent on many other considerations outside one’s influence. Thus, every important outcome is best governed through a process toward its end.

This holds true even in one’s personal life. Over time we develop meaningful goals to pursue which gives us purpose. Yet, if we don’t have a process to follow, then the goal is only a wish. A dream most likely never to happen.

As Christ-followers, we have been given a macro-goal in partnership with Jesus himself. A goal larger than ourselves. A vision bigger than any one of us. Yes Jesus is the initiator and CEO. But HE has given us a community of other believers within the Church to carry out HIS instructions. He has given us an outline to follow. A process for each of us to put in place with Jesus himself. The details though is a mutual discussion between you and HIM.

Our objectives are outline through the prayer example of Jesus found in the book of Matthew (6:9-13). We are to ask God for help to focus our actions toward seven important outcomes. Each outcome begs a personal reply: What is your process?

The first is to build a meaningful relationship with our Papa God. What is your process?

Followed by surrendering our kingdom under the auspices of God’s Kingdom. Again, what is your process?

Then to learn, develop, and exercise our personal will to be one with our Triune God. Again, what is your process?

Jesus knows the importance of physical necessities. Thus, HE reminds us to ask for our daily living requirements. Food, clothing, shelter are the basics of human survival. HE knows we need them. Again, what is your process?

HE also knows we have all incurred debts through life. He did not mean the financial type. But the spiritual sins of commission and omission that we all have committed. Repentance is the process of acknowledging our need for grace. To refocus our internal drive to a deeper relationship with God. So, how goes your process?

Then Jesus moves to the importance of forgiveness within relationships. The importance of maintaining a relationship is the ability to forgive others. Just as God has forgiven us. How is your process working?

Jesus also knows the struggles of temptation in the world. He instructs us to pray for deliverance from them. Which again begs the question, what is your current process to deal with temptation?

The seventh area Jesus pointed to was evil itself. Evil is real. Evil is anti-God. Evil will knock on your door more times than you want. So, Jesus instructs us to pray asking God to deliver us from it. What does your process against evil entail?

All seven of these objectives are key areas of a Christ-follower’s life. From a personal leadership perspective, each one requires a process to manage. Our focus is to control the process. The outcome is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. As we surrender to our Lord, HE will walk with us through the process.

HE even gave us further instructions on the development of our process. HE told us to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK. We are first to ask God. We ask HIM to direct our steps. To bring people into our world to assist us. To flood us with HIS Grace as we make every effort to move through the process.

As we continue to ASK, we begin to SEEK HIS answer. We move forward. We look for HIS words, HIS touch, HIS Spirit along the way. When a door appears that may be the answer, we KNOCK. As we turn the knob, but the door remains close, we leave it alone and move on. We keep looking for another door. As we turn the knob on this one, the door slowly opens on its own. We do not have to force or manipulate anything. The door opens wide. We step through and like a champion surfer, we ride the wave to the end. Afterward, we look back and are amazed how everything fell into place.

God is a master worker. HE does good work. As you move through your process, your relationship with HIM grows deeper. Your trust in HIM becomes stronger. You learn the holy swagger walk. You experience the goodness of God.

Yes, we develop a process and follow through with our best effort. We will fall short most times. There we will see God’s grace in action. In the process, we learn how to govern ourselves and others. We also build a stronger relationship with Jesus, our Lord, Savior, and Teacher. The Holy Spirit becomes more active in your world. This all happens as you develop and execute a process of turning prayer into action.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

Click Here for more Writings Neatly Bound in Book Format Available at Your Favorite Bookstore.

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Being With Jesus

Dr. Mike 2026 , , ,

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

Being a disciple of Jesus is a lifelong adventure. Like any learning role, it begins as a student/teacher relationship. The rabbi has selected his students and now the lessons begin. Unlike today’s schooling, the Jewish rabbi of the first century operated differently. He would meet outside the classroom and teach through life’s everyday routines. Jesus was no different in that format.

Most rabbis had a high academic bar for selecting their students. They would not allow you to sit with them unless you met their standard. In the first century, this meant you had to repeat per verbatim from memory the entire first five books of the Bible. It is estimated that only one out of every ten thousand would qualify. Jesus’ selection process was somewhat different. He didn’t select his students based on their mental acumen or elite status. He invited all to follow HIM if they wanted to learn. But it was from this disciple group HE selected twelve for more intense training. They became the apostles. And HE specifically chose them only after conversing with HIS Father.

Unlike today’s academic setting, the student’s training was both academic and hands-on. They listened at the feet of their teacher, and didn’t have to take academic tests. Instead, they went on missionary field trips. There they put into practice the Lord’s teachings and saw the fruit of their efforts. It was all hands-on. In a sense it was a small group master-level training class.

They became known as apostles because the twelve learned directly from Jesus. They then replicated the process. They also selected students who they would pass on their learning. Thus, we have our early church fathers who learned from the apostle’s feet. They then continue to replicate the process.

What made this process so effective was the emphasis on relationship over task – being over doing. Jesus himself would emphasize his relationship with HIS father. He then showed the strength of that relationship through the good works HE performed. Though HE would share the knowledge of God’s Kingdom with them, HIS focus was always on the heart of the issue. HIS last prayer emphasized the intimate relationship between HIM, HIS Father, and disciples. In today’s Scripture, HE again emphasized the relationship with them. Not as teacher/student, master/servant, boss/employee, but as friend/friend.

The three-plus-years-experience of the disciples with Jesus is a great lesson of discipleship. They realize being with Jesus was more rewarding than the work one does for Jesus. That wherever one goes, Jesus is already there, because HE is always with you. As one practices the way of discipleship, one learns to live with Jesus rather than just do work for Jesus. The joy of living is greater when one shares the time and space, and process with Jesus. And allow HIM to share HIMSELF with you.

The apostles were happiest being with Jesus wherever they went. They marveled at HIS work, HIS words, HIS actions. They couldn’t get enough of HIM. They wanted HIM as their friend; but hesitated because of the Rabbi/Learner role they shared. But this night, Jesus broke down the wall, and called them friends.

As disciples we will go through a similar process. HE will always be the Rabbi. We will always be the student. But one day, HE and you will both become friends. Welcome to being with Jesus.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Click Here for these and Other Writings Neatly Bound in Book Format Available at Your Favorite Bookstore.

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved