Self-control, whether we like it or not, is an all-embracing and paramount consideration in the life of every Christian. For the ultimate reward for obedience through self-control, and ultimately self-mastery, is kingship over cities, dominions and principalities. No one, absolutely no one, can qualify in the eternal realms to be a king exercising control over others unless he has completely mastered himself. That is why unless we now practice self-control, we cannot hope to be worthy of the reward so high and forbidding yet not a necessarily unreachable, impossible dream. Jesus Christ did it. He said we can do it. So, it can be done.In order to fulfill our full potential and become all that our Heavenly Father wants us to be, we must first learn to control ourselves and keep our impulses, emotions and desires in check. With great power comes great responsibility. To receive the power (and responsibility) that God wants to give us, we must first prove that we can handle that responsibility by showing that we can manage the responsibilities God has already given us by giving us the power to govern ourselves.
It's also worth noting that the lofty goal of achieving self-mastery, along with obtaining all the blessings that go with it, is not an unreachable goal. "Jesus Christ did it. He said we can do it. So, it can be done." Impossible though it may seem sometimes, we can learn to gain total control over ourselves and ultimately master all of our impulses, emotions, and desires. It is a quest of the utmost difficulty and of the highest possible reward, yet it can be completed successfully, making it a perfect life-long quest for a Paladin or for any of us. It will certainly take us a lifetime or longer, but pursuing the goal of self-mastery is a wholly worthwhile endeavor, and one that I'm going to continue working on for the rest of my life, if not longer.
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