Back to School 
Pause
Summer began, and we were blessed to just let go and relax. As summer ends, we have to prepare for what is ahead, and that includes getting our backpacks in order.
As you prepare for school, or as adults prepare to get back into the regular schedule, the way we prepare and what we put into our backpacks prepares us for what we will face.
As you make your way through this day, take time now to make sure you have what you need to live out your calling.
Listen
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Galatians 5:22-23
Think
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, texting. Whatever your connection, it’s easy to get so caught up in it that it becomes a distraction. When this happens, you are not in control; it controls you.
Paul describes “self-control” as one of the fruits of the Spirit. That is, it is one of the ways in which God’s presence is made evident in our lives. To be self-controlled is to be aware of ourselves, where we point our browsers, how we dart our eyes, and what we invest time or money in. It is to do all we do for the glory of God.
The zippers on your backpack control what you put in and what you take out of that backpack. Today, be aware of when you zip and unzip what you carry, and pull out only the things that bless others and yourself.
Tim Tate
Pray
O God, you are the center of everything, and I want to please you. Give me self-control; then take me over, that I might be a blessing to others. Amen.
Go
God has provided all that you need today.
Go with God’s provision, protection, and blessing.
Take what you have and share it,
Then look for God’s love at work
Within and around you.
