“Discipline is the basic set of tools we need to solve life’s problems” (M. Scott Peck).
Sometimes saying ‘no’ is both wise and beneficial. Not everything we desire to do can be done with honor, and when a job cannot be done honorably, those who know how to avoid it enjoy a distinct advantage over those who do not.
In most people’s minds, abstinence is what prudent people practice when they abstain from sexual activity or alcohol consumption. Certainly those who choose to remain abstinent in these areas are exercising abstinence (and there may be many reasons for doing so, some better than others), but these are just two examples of abstinence. Restraint means the all-round ability to discipline oneself and subordinate one’s desires and appetites to the priority of one’s principles. We need to move beyond the sneering, condescending stereotypes some people have about this concept. It involves a good deal more than prudence, and it is a much stronger and more valuable practice than many people seem willing to admit. Without the ability to abstain, we are hopelessly adrift in the seas of life, at the mercy of whatever hormonal winds are blowing at the moment.
Not only will there be things we should say no to as a matter of principle, there are at least two other times when we might consider abstinence. One is when we have to choose between good, better and best. There is nothing foolish or foolish in abstaining from any one action because we want to take a path that is relatively higher. it is right here excellence Comes from! But the second one is when we stay away from something just to develop our self-discipline. Just as it’s a good idea from time to time to do something we don’t want to do – just to keep in the practice – it’s a healthy exercise to occasionally step away from what we really want to do.
Our emotions and our appetites are good things. They can serve us well and contribute to the quality of our lives. But these things do not serve us well unless they trained making it happen. Everything that is good about life in this world depends on freedom, and there is no man more free than he who has learned to use the word “no.”
“Govern your mind otherwise it will rule you” (Horace).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
