Journey Of Life Lutheran Church

Temperance is similar to self-control or moderation. Temperance has been one of the four cardinal virtues (also fortitude, prudence and justice) recognized not just in the scriptures but in ancient philosophy, from Aristotle to Cicero. In times of scarcity like in pioneer towns, there wasn’t much to be had so intemperance wasn’t much of a temptation. All they really had to overindulge in was alcohol, so reflections on temperance revolved around alcohol. Not so today. We have such abundance that the list of things we could use intemperately is almost limitless, from the classic intemperance of alcohol use to food, from rest to exercise. Even Facebook can draw one away from the virtue of temperance. One can think of intemperance in two types of situations: immediate and habitual. In classical philosophy, temperance was self-control that led to a successful life. While this is true, the virtue of temperance is much deeper in the Christian faith. For the Christian, self-control is really