It is easy to think of Temperance as a kind of imprisonment—all this talk about moderation, self-restraint, too much of a good thing, pausing and thinking before we act.  You may wonder, why bother with all of that?  Indeed, the world will ask you, why be Temperate when you can be free to do what you like?  Why not just eat the extra candy bar, or watch another hour of Netflix?

Well, I have two answers: First, because being Temperate is a part of being human.  The Bible compares an intemperate man to a wild donkey—people who live according to their instincts and impulses are really no different than wild animals.  But we’re human beings, created in the image of God.  We should live differently than the animals.

But my second answer is that the world is wrong—living intemperately is not freedom.  Instead, it is to be ruled by your appetites and desires.  And letting your stomach or emotions tell you what to do, it turns out, is actually less freedom, not more.  It is only when you stop and think, and then act Temperately that you have exercised your freedom to choose what is right.

Don’t be a wild donkey.

Now, for the Friday Funnies:

A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.”

The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” The boy takes the quarters and leaves.

“What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!”

Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream parlor.
“Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?”

The boy licked his cone and replied:

“Because the day I take the dollar the game is over!”

Have a wonderful day and weekend.