Daily Devotionals

Have you ever noticed how young kids like to do things on their own? Whether we are trying to help them eat a meal, pick out an outfit, or anything in-between, our offers to help are often met with “I can do it!” or “I want to do this myself!” In these situations, I often find myself thinking about how different the situation would be if the kid would allow me to help. Sometimes, I wonder if God sees our striving and hard work, thinking about how much different the situation would be if we would stop and ask for help.

God is ready, willing, and able to help us in our battle to grow in our self-control. In fact, He sent us the Holy Spirit to help us in the areas we feel weak, including self-control. Paul writes in Romans 8, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (verse 26). What an amazing truth! As we go about our lives and seek to honor God, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. This includes the area of self-control. When we feel that we are weak, lacking in self-control, the Holy Spirit can walk with us, strengthen us, and help us. We were not meant to live the Christian life alone, especially living with self-control.

The Holy Spirit is there to help us live with self-control. The question is, are we asking Him for help? Are we letting Him help us, or are we like a stubborn child, trying to do everything on our own? It is time that we remember to ask Him for help. After all, He is there, ready, willing, and able to help us.

Moving Toward Action

Is there a particular area of your life where you feel particularly out of control? What is that area? It is time today to ask God for help. Spend time praying to God. If you would like, journal your prayer. Ask God to help you to have self-control in the area of your life that feels out of control. Remember to thank Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps in the areas where you feel weak.

Going Deeper

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Would You Rather? Week 6 Wednesday

Moving Toward Action

Going Deeper

Stay Connected