Conquer Yourself!

Daily Devotional – Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (ESV)

French Philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes (1596-1650), once said, “Conquer yourself rather than the world.” Descartes insinuated that the toughest and most important battle is that of bringing our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions under control.

Know Yourself
Similarly, in his book, The Art of War, Sun Tzu stated, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” In essence, understanding your strengths and weaknesses before going to war is as critical to victory as knowing your enemy well.

Correspondingly, Apostle Paul, while comparing a Christian to a professional athlete, wrote, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 9:25). Have you noticed how disciplined elite athletes are in their quest for victory?

The Power of Self-Discipline

World marathon record holder and arguably the greatest marathoner of all times, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, asserts, “Make discipline your lifestyle…Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you aren’t disciplined, you are a slave to moods. You are a slave to passions. That’s a fact.”

For Kipchoge and other leading athletes, victory comes to the one who watches his diet, thought processes, exercise regime and choice of entertainment and relaxation. That is what Paul wants believers to learn from athletes. Being self-controlled implies conquering yourself, especially sinful tendencies that can derail your spiritual progress.

Conquer Yourself

The imperishable crown of life will not come on a silver platter as it were. It demands spending quality time with God in prayer and Bible Study. For the sake of Jesus, we have to deny ourselves earthly pleasures and other activities that crowd out Jesus from our lives. To win this battle, you must conquer yourself by the grace of God.

To what extent are you exercising self-control in all things? For example, how effectively are you able to control your appetite, passions, thoughts and conduct? Are you able to say ‘NO’ to sin in all its forms? To what extent do friends influence you to make decisions that displease God? Today, determine to conquer yourself.

Prayer
Dear God, by Your grace, I will conquer myself.