This letter to my son is part of the Letters to My Children series. Learn more about these letters here.
October 2016
Son,
As you grow into a man, you will navigate many emotions and temptations. Sometimes they will feel so strong that you will feel you cannot rein them in or reign over them, that you wont outlast the night or even an hour. Hormones in youth make it even more difficult for your mind to be victor over body and emotions. But “no temptation has seized you that is not common” (1 Corinthians 10:13) and Christ himself can sympathize with our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). The Holy Spirit will help you. Trust Him, look to Him. Ask and you will receive. 2 Peter 1:3-4.
In my reading tonight, 1 Corinthians 6:12b stood out to me, so I wrote it out for myself inside the cover of my own journal where I will see it often. There Paul writes, “I will not be dominated by anything.” Such simple wise difficult words. So good. So motivating. Say it out loud- does it make you feel a stonewall, sturdy 
steady stubborn and strong? Son, whatever your struggles- anxiety, lust, anger, guilt anything listed in Galatians 5:19– do not let it dominate you. You must rule over it and invite Christ to rule over you. Genesis 4:7.
Be encouraged. Take heart. Every man stumbles (Romans 3:23). We have a forgiving God whose love for us is unconditional forever. And for that I myself am very thankful.
Whenever I feel anxious about my struggles or anxiety itself becomes my struggle, I reflect on Philippians 4:6 and Matthew 6:25-34 then remind myself,
I will not be anxious about anything
what goes on in the world around me
what goes on within my small and temporary body.
None should cause turmoil in my eternal soul.
Therefore I will not let fear overshadow my faith. I will not give full vent to my anger. Timidity will not quench my zeal. Passions will not master my actions. Insecurity will not undermine my relationships. Unchecked pride will not pry my heart from God. Greed will not steal my joy. Trials will not choke my peace. I will not let anything dominate me.
RELATED POSTS:
Letters to My Children: Introduction
Beautiful, Heather.
Hi Gail! Thank you! Oh I miss you guys!
We just joined our new church this week! I am remember two tips you gave me- 1) be quiet, watch and pray without jumping into activities and 2) let this be a season of primarily serving my family not the community Seriously, that advice has lifted so much potential stress right off my shoulders and has humbled me quite a bit. 🙂