‘All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient…’ (I Cor 6:12).

Look for ways to say no to yourself every day and let your flesh know who is in charge. If you do this regularly, you will be able to do it when it really matters. This type of disciplined life is not just about handling cardinal sins, but zeroing in on the undisciplined areas of our lives that we excuse, and postpone dealing with.

Paul in I Corinthians 6:12 measured his actions by this passage by asking: ‘is it beneficial? Does it have the tendency to control me?’ For how long are you going to keep telling yourself, ‘I know I need to make a shift and I will – tomorrow’?

You have the right to take chocolate cake and ice cream at bedtime every night. It’s delicious but health-wise, it’s not beneficial especially if you want to avoid blocked arteries, sugar-free blood, and a trim waistline. You have the liberty to spend your money the way and manner you like but be mindful that when you hit the bottom, you have no right to blame anyone for your financial recklessness. You have the right to feed your mind with any kind of rubbish you choose, but remember that unrestricted exposure to the wrong things will one day weaken your character, rob you of self-respect and ultimately enslave you.

Your character is the sum total of your everyday choices. Day by day, what you think, what you choose and what you do, is who you become. Therefore, when it comes to replacing bad choices with good ones, only two people are going to make it happen – you and Jesus Christ.