The first of February

Where there is self-mastery, the face sparkles with confidence and shows no sign of struggle^*

I assume that self-mastery is similar to what I'm used to calling self-control. If so, then in my experience it requires frequent struggle with desires that you don't want to indulge. The suggestion that such struggle will never show in your face seems absurd, to me.

Perhaps self-mastery refers to more than just self-control. Maybe it involves control over the external circumstances that affect you, too, like how other people treat you, or your health, or natural disasters. This seems a bit much to hope for. If mere self-control was good enough for Jesus, then why isn't it good enough for us?

At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”
Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!”—Luke 13:31–33 (NLT)

And later:

Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”
He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.—Luke 22:39–44 (NLT)

He knew he was going to be killed. He probably knew it would be by crucifixion, in which you finally suffocate when your legs no longer have the strength to lift your body enough to let air into your lungs for another breath. He didn't want to go through that suffering. But he willingly went to Jerusalem for it, instead of running away and hiding.

That is self-control.

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^* Reproduced by permission of the copyright-holder BK Publications, London, www.bkpublications.com