A Will of Your Own?

[Daily Devotional]

A Will of Your Own? 

     The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to
pass over a transgression. Prov. 19:11.  

     There are duties to the body and duties to the soul, and these every
human agent must cooperate with God in seeking to perform. . . . Do not
submit to receive a cheap mold. The young need sound common sense, for they
are living for two worlds. . . .  

     Apply the truth to your own individual case. You have a soul to save or
a soul to lose. Have a will of your own, but let it be subject to the will
of God. Be determined that you will not become angry, that you will not
become self-sufficient, that you will not be hasty and overbearing. If this
is your weak point, guard that point as a man would guard a broken limb.
Watch your spirit, and let not a hasty spirit conquer you. Be careful to
examine the weak points in your character, knowing that the evils which
exist may be overcome by steadfastly refusing to yield to your weakness. The
evil of hasty, wicked, indulgence of temper makes any youth a madman. Keep
sane. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Evil can and will grow . . . through
repetition. 

     Do not underrate the importance of little things because they are
little. By action and reaction these little defects accumulate and bind
themselves together like rods of steel. That little action, that unguarded
word, repeated, becomes habit, . . . and habit constitutes character. . . .


     Cultivate a kind, tender, sympathetic heart, and never call these
attributes weakness, for they are the attributes of Christ. Be careful of
your influence. Let it be of so pure and fragrant a character that you will
never be ashamed to have it reproduced in others.  

     As drops of water make the river, so little things make up life. Life
is a river, peaceful, calm, and enjoyable, or it is a troubled river, always
casting up mire and dirt. In this life you may place yourself under the
discipline of the Holy Spirit. Through the sanctification of the Spirit you
will thus grow more and more like Christ.  

>From That I May Know Him - Page 209