Thoughts and Stuff

So we got a new reverend in our church quite a while back. I only saw and listened to him for the first time yesterday. Every time I am on duty in Sunday school, he is preaching. Let’s just say I have missed a lot. The very tall minister of the word is one of those for whom people actually walk into the building to listen to instead of walking out. Best believe. I saw that for the first time yesterday, where the opposite happens. His sense humour is something else too.

We’ve been having sermons about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It so happened that yesterday’s was Self-control. Na by the way you guys should stop saying the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It very clearly says the fruit. One fruit with many aspects. But anyway, that’s just politics. Fruit can very well mean fruits. Depends on where you went to school and with whom.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5: 22-23

Olympics mode.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27

Speed governor. You remember that time when we all learnt what those were? Do PSVs still have those? I hope so. You too, you should have a speed governor within you. You are to regulate yourself. The same way you are forced to regulate your speed when you are almost flying through the Southern Bypass, flashing your lights at people who are on 100 Km/hr on the right lane, because you, apparently, have an emergency that requires you to fly on land. The same way you can stop yourself from taking sugar your entire lifetime for no real reason. (This one I am quoting Rev John Calvin.) But for some strange reason cannot beat your body into not acting on your lustful desires.

You need to control our emotions. Anger. Love. Hate. If people troll you on social media, don’t feed the trolls. Close your Twitter app. Do something constructive. Don’t talk back. That kange steals your money, don’t insult him. If reason does not work, move on. Don’t spoil the entire day for everyone else when you can smile and move on. (Unless you have a dad who will pursue the matter given the perks of his age and status in society. Long story.) Don’t taunt people. If you feel like you need to kata your wife, whether you think she deserves it or not, relax.

As a man thinketh, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

Your attitude develops from your thoughts. If you know, right now, that you’re thinking bad thoughts. Stop it. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. (Philipians 4:8) There is nothing like a slip of the tongue, it’s a slip of the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Before it leaves your keyboard into a chat, it comes from very deep inside you. Stop being idle. Beat your body. Take a cold shower. Calm down.

Sometimes, we exercise self-control in the absolute wrong things. Don’t do this, don’t do that. Don’t eat that. Don’t marry from here. You know, those fickle things we avoid that are pointless. Fine, you might argue that they are not pointless, but that’s a story for another day. Self-control should be controlled in and of itself. Don’t not do things because you’re following a crowd. Even faith wise, do not be faithful blindly, without reasoning. Reason. Reasoning and rationalizing is key in calming yourself down “in the heat of the moment”. Rationalizing opens your eyes to the result of the act, the consequence of what you’re doing right now, whether good or bad. When feelings are exposed to critical thinking, they subside. Although God forgives sins, he does not forgive the consequences of the sin. They will be right there waiting for you when it’s all said and done.

Let’s be practical. Walk away when you can. Go offline. Completely. Get a substitute. And lastly, respect yourself. Ultimately, you’ll respect others. You will stop yourself from doing certain things out of respect. You will stop in your tracks when you feel you want to put someone in their place. When you want to walk out of the house naked. When you want to roast someone.

Thuti ti ruo. Desire or want is not like pain. Pain disappears when you take meds. Desire does not only disappear when you quench it. Thirst does, of course, when you take water, and that’s the problem with today’s society, where lust is equated to thirst. Something you have to quench. It is not. You can cool it down until the time is right. Thuti ti ruo.

(Sorry if you did not understand the French (Kikuyu) in this piece. I have translated it completely. Do not be afraid. Also, most of this piece is totally borrowed from our reverend’s sermon. Reverend John Calvin Kamau – PCEA Kikuyu Township Parish.)