Control yourself

GERHARD RODAX, Bronze Boot in European football, became a player for Atlético Madrid.

During the first months of the season, Rodax spent more time on the bench than he did playing football. When he was asked if that worried him, he mentioned situations with which we are all familiar: children who are starving to death, war-torn countries. "These really are problems", he said. "Mine is only football".

If you learn to control your emotions a little, you can become much more productive in all that you do.

People who are very emotional tend to have problems: on a good day, they are at odds with everyone else, and if they are feeling bad, they are unable to do anything at all.

We are not going to try and change everyone's character here, but God says that we should learn to control ourselves.

If you are impulsive,you tend to act without thinking. He who acts without thinking, sooner or later finds himself making mistakes.

Often, when making decisions about how to react in a certain situation, it is our character that determines the outcome.

Our acts depend on whether we are pessimists, or nervous, or fearful, or impulsive or easily angered.

An example would be how we cope with our worries: in this modern world many people suffer physical and psychiatric illnesses because they don't know how to react to things.

I propose a challenge: look at chapters 6 and 7 of Matthew's gospel and write down all the reasons Jesus gives us for NOT worrying. I'll help by mentioning some of them:

1. Worries can misdirect our hearts (Matthew 6:21)

2. Worries are sometimes illogical, life is the most important thing (6:25)

3. Worries stop us from trusting in God (6:26)

4. Worries are not constructive (6:27)

5. Worries demonstrate our lack of faith (6:30)

6. Worries lack sense (6:31)

There are many more reasons that you can find for yourself. Remember, our emotions are excellent servants, but bad masters. It is better to control them.