Wiser and Happier: Special Military Edition from Time of Graceনমুনা

Work Ethic: Self-control

In 1885 Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson conceived of a marvelous “bogey tale,” as he called it, to illustrate the duality of human nature. He called it "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." It was a great hit with the reading public. People resonated immediately with the good doctor’s daily dilemma of an internal struggle to keep the beast in him at bay.

Someday we will be without sin. Someday we will no longer be schizophrenic. In heaven we will be whole. In heaven we will never again have to wrestle with the Mr. Hyde inside.

In the meantime, we labor at self-control. A loving God shares his power with us, power that streams into our minds and hearts through his wonderful Word. He promises that we can rebuke the devil, and the devil will flee from us.

We can also rebuke the junior version of the devil within us. “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered” (Proverbs 17:27).

It’s no secret that some of our troops have landed themselves in hot water because of what they’ve said or how they’ve acted in the heat of the moment. When your blood starts to boil, chill out. Think things through. Remember, God doesn’t just work for you, he works in you.

You can handle this.