Lately, I have been thinking about the virtue, “self-control,” something that seems to be lacking these days, especially in the public sector.
So, deciding to refer to my trusty dictionary, I found these nice sounding definitions, such as: calmness, composure, patience, self-discipline and self-restraint.
Are the moral disciplines parents have tried to install in today’s generation being forgotten or just ignored?
Could our fast-paced society and the urgency of wanting our needs fulfilled "now", be negatively affecting our social behaviour?
Because of the pressures and demands of life, many find themselves in a non-stop, hectic pace of survival, often not of their own choosing. Sadly, we continue hearing of terrible road-rage accidents on our highways and family disagreements that too often result in disastrous outcomes.
I imagine many of us tuned in to the on-going drama taking place in our neighbouring country, as we watched the two U.S. president-hopefuls, Clinton and Trump, spar off with their first debate.
Expecting one or the other, at some point, to “lose their cool,” I was pleasantly surprised to see their somewhat controlled composure. Of course, hotter debates are yet to come. Though we realize our politicians are human just as we are, yet we often shake our heads whenever we see the obvious "lack of control".
Jesus reminds us, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” (John 8:7).
This past May, our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “lost it” and walked across the floor of the House of Commons and ended up “manhandling” someone he disagreed with.
Of course, it didn’t take long for the footage to go viral with the vote temporarily postponed.
A day or so after, a leadership banquet was being held at Canada’s National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa. Mr. Trudeau was in attendance, the first sitting prime minister to attend the prayer breakfast in 25 years. He read verses from the Bible that he chose himself.
Without fanfare, we’re told he read from Romans 12: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you… Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another… Do not be proud.” (vs 3, 14-16).
Jack Murta, who oversees the yearly prayer breakfast event, said the prime minister sat in bed that night after the vote, reading the Bible — good place to go when you’ve blown it!
We all "blow it" from time to time. And we all need forgiveness and understanding.
Psalm 130:3-4 says, ”If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”
We all need do-overs occasionally, and to be reminded of God’s amazing grace. What a monumental task in the hands of our leaders!
We need to remember to undergird them with our prayers. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I urge…that prayers, intersession and thanksgiving be made for… all those in authority.”
On a lighter note — “Bananas are the politicians’ fruit. They’re yellow, they’re crooked, and they hang in bunches.”
Ha! Hope I haven’t offended anyone.
— beulah
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