Emotions are a large part of life. Emotions are feelings that range from love to hate, from courage to fear, from happiness to sadness, and from anger to calmness. Humans are built to have emotions, and we all experience strong feelings. Helping your children learn to recognize and control their own emotions is a huge part of childrearing. Many a parent is truly challenged in this area, because it is not easy! Understanding what the Bible says about temperance and self-control will be a benefit to both parents and children.
God told Moses to take the cranky, thirsty crowd of people to a large rock and speak to that rock so water would come out of the rock. Moses gathered the people around the rock, but instead of speaking to it, he spoke angrily to the people and hit the rock twice with his staff. Because of his disobedience, God did not allow Moses to lead the people the rest of the way into the Promised Land. Moses’ anger (uncontrolled emotion) toward the people clouded his judgment to the point that he missed out on God’s blessing.
A positive example of young people who controlled their impulses is found in the book of Daniel, in the Bible. Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were faced with a difficult decision when they were taken captive into Babylon and forced into a godless culture which worshipped idols and ate foods forbidden to God’s chosen people. These four young men bravely made choices to honor God, and God honored them in return. God rewarded their decisions to control their behavior. Instead of spending the rest of their captivity being told what to do, they were given positions of influence and made a difference.
In Character Connection, children learn that our emotions, if not controlled, can hurt us dearly. We must be temperate when it comes to our feelings because our feelings are not always right. Even if you feel like being rude or talking back to someone, stop and think before you say anything. When your emotions are in control, you will do things that God does not want you to do. Rather than live according to how you feel, obey God’s Word at all times. Instead of getting mad when you lose a game or activity, be positive and determine to do better.
Those who control their behavior deny themselves of the wrong they want to do and make themselves do the things they do not want to do. They receive blessings from God. Choosing to do what is right is difficult when we feel like we are the only ones making that choice. However, just because we are the only ones doing right does not negate the fact that we should still be the ones to control our actions. If we do not get our behavior under control, someone else will have to do it for us (parents, teacher, police officer). If someone has to make us behave, it will be far more difficult for us than if we did it in the first place. Temperance comes once we make the choice.
Memory Verse: “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” I Corinthians 9:25