Discipline, self-control...

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 07 December 2008 12:28:25

... and other unpopular ideals.

Okay, here's the thing.  The main reason I have been absent from blogging for a while is because I realised that I have a weakness for simply being on the computer.  My decision to 'fast' from posting blogs may appear to be a bit of an overreaction to a fairly usual state of affairs, but this realisation coincided with an overall dawning of awareness about my lack of self-control in general.

Okay, I have never had a classical 'addiction' as such, to booze, drugs etc, but I certainly have what could be termed an unhealthy relationship with food, for example.  In this case, I exhibit the classical cyclical pattern of a person attempting to get to grips with an addictive behaviour.  For those who don't know, it can be paraphrased roughly as 'not bothering, thinking about bothering, starting to bother, doing well at bothering, slipping up whilst bothering, 'falling off the wagon' of bothering, back to not bothering'.  (Acres of research reduced to a sentence about bothering.  Trite, or genius? :) )  There is the added hassle of being able to 'fall off the wagon' at an earlier stage, but the idea is obviously not to fall off at all.  It is said that a number of turns of the cycle need to be completed before you even stand a chance of that, tho.  (I'm sure Auntie Doris would be able to give you a much more thorough analysis of this than I can.  If you do ask her, tho, don't say I sent you!)

So, the spiritual fruit of self-control would appear to offer a great boon in dealing with self-defeating behaviour such as this.  I get the idea, tho, that self-control itself is gained by a close walk with the Lord.  Surely such a walk is one result of a disciplined spiritual life?

Okay, what now...?