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When I was a teenager, I had a shirt that read, “Second place is first loser”. When I watched “Talladega Nights” and Ricky Bobby said, “If you’re not first, you’re last,” I laughed pretty hard. He expressed my mentality pretty well. I’ve always been on the competitive side. Part of that must come from being the middle child. I honestly can’t stand losing, and now my son has it. He got a 99 on a test this year. He came home disappointed and said, “I might as well have failed.” Not being first is a hard pill to swallow, but it is what Christ has called us to. When we accept Him, we are to get off the throne of our life to make Him number one, putting ourself in second place.

On the night before Jesus was to be crucified, He knew what was coming. For 33 years He knew what He was born to do. Even though He knew it, and was willing, His flesh fought back. In Mark 14:36, we hear Him pray, “Father, my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want” (GNT). He made a conscious effort in the most difficult circumstance to submit to God’s will and place His own in second place. He was demonstrating to us that we must yield to God and constantly offer Him first place in our lives. Anything less is not true submission to Him.

1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord” (AMP). Becoming a mature Christian is the process of giving up the throne of your life to Jesus. It’s willfully taking second place, which is a very hard thing to do. When we accept second place, and allow Him first place in our lives, we fulfill God’s will for our lives because we have life in proper order. If you’re struggling to give up first place, you’re not alone. It’s a daily process of taking up our cross, crucifying our flesh and following Him. Spiritual growth and maturity happen when we accept second place.

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Since I’m traveling today, enjoy this previously written devotion. I’ll return tomorrow with a new one.

A friend of mine was sharing with me how he had been witnessing to his uncle. One day they were out together and the uncle said, “I don’t know why I’m still here.” My friend replied, “God must have something for you to do still.” The uncle paused, looked at him and said, “You don’t know all the bad things I’ve done. I’ve done some horrible things.” My friend gently replied, “Those things are no match for the blood of Jesus. The grace of God is greater than anything you have done.” They uncle hesitantly admitted God had been dealing with him, but kept referring to who he had been. My friend said, “It doesn’t matter who you have been or how you have lived. What matters is how you respond to God’s grace.” Heaven rejoiced that day.

In Luke 19, Jesus was on His way through Jericho to Jerusalem. As He walked through the streets, crowds gathered around Him. There was a man in the crowd who had been dying to meet Jesus, but couldn’t see Him because he couldn’t see over the crowd. He then ran ahead of where Jesus was going and climbed up a sycamore tree so He could see Jesus. When Jesus got near him, He looked up and told Zacchaeus that He needed to go to his house. The people were upset that Jesus chose to go into the home of a notorious sinner. Zacchaeus responded to that invitation by saying he was going to give half of his possessions away to the poor and repay those he cheated. Jesus said that salvation had come into that house.

Ephesians 4:22-23 says, “So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new” (GNT). Our response to God’s grace should be to put off who we used to be. That becomes our old identity because now we identify as God’s child. Since we no longer identify as that person, we are to get rid of that behavior from our lives. God has given you a new identity that comes with new behaviors. Remember, it’s not about who you have been that matters. It’s how you respond to God’s grace. My friend’s uncle and Zacchaeus both changed their identities and how they lived. It’s time each of us allow ourselves to be made new.

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There’s a Fruit of the Spirit that I call the forgotten fruit. It’s the one we least like because it’s the one that goes against our flesh the most. It’s the fruit of self control. When we exercise this fruit, we restrain our run away thoughts, emotions, words and bring our actions into alignment with God’s desires. It’s giving the Holy Spirit the reigns of our mind so that we are led by Him rather than our desires. We don’t like to talk about this fruit much, but it’s evidence needs to be seen in our lives as much as the other fruits. When’s the last time you told yourself, “No”? Fasting is a great way to grow this fruit in your life. Remember Romans 8:14 says that the people who are led by the Spirit, rather than their flesh, are the ones called sons of God. Don’t let this fruit be forgotten in your life.

Here are some Bible verses on self control:

1. So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness, and to goodness add understanding, and to understanding add the strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to patient endurance add godliness, and to godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and to mercy toward others add unending love. Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately.

2 Peter 1:5-8 TPT

2. Since we are approaching the end of all things, be intentional, purposeful, and self-controlled so that you can be given to prayer.

1 Peter 4:7 TPT

3. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

Titus 2:2 NLT

4. The sins of the wicked are a trap. They get caught in the net of their own sin. They die because they have no self-control. Their utter stupidity will send them to their graves.

Proverbs 5:22-23 GNT

5. He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words, And a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, an even temper).

Proverbs 17:27 AMP

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In Luke 10:25, a Jewish lawyer, well versed in Mosaic Law, asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him what he thought the Scriptures said about it. The man pointed to the Law and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” [Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5] (AMP). When Jesus told him that his answer was correct, the lawyer, wanting to vindicate and justify his actions, asked Jesus to clarify who his neighbor was. He wanted the freedom that eternal life would bring him without loving and serving everyone.

Jesus saw right into his heart and told the story of the Good Samaritan. This man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was robbed, beaten and left for dead. A priest walked by and when he saw him, walked by on the other side of the road. Next a Levite, who helped priests perform their duties, came by and did the same thing. Both of these men would have taught what the lawyer quoted as the greatest commandments. Then a Samaritan, who was despised by the audience and the people in the story, came along. He picked up the man, bandaged his wounds, picked him up, placed him on his donkey, took him to an inn and paid for his medical bills. Jesus asked which one proved to follow the Law. The man replied that it was the Samaritan because he showed mercy and compassion.

In today’s world, we’re quick to pick up other people’s offenses and slow to pick up their burdens. Imagine if the Samaritan had simply picked up the man’s offense against the robbers, the priest and the Levite. Instead, he picked the man up and carried him to help. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love].” We find freedom in fulfilling the Law of Christian love in caring for our neighbors and carrying their burdens. When we carry their offense, we join their prison of bitterness. God has called us to a life of freedom and to set captives free. We do that by picking up their burdens, loving them through their offense and restoring them in a spirit of gentleness. When we do this, we fulfill the Law of Christ and bring freedom to those who need it most.

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