The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Christopher K. during the 2011-2012 League.

Mission: Research Self-Government

A lot of times when people are born again they think their life will automatically become better, and they won't have to worry about anything. That is not true, especially for someone who went a long time without Christ. Nine out of ten times your life becomes more challenging, and the most challenging thing new Christians struggle with is self-control.

The million dollar question people try to answer is, "If there is no God, how do I determine what is right and wrong?" If you're a Christian you know that God determines what is right, and he gave us the Ten Commandments to help us. Learning about the Bible is great, but living it is something completely different.

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control," says Proverbs 25:28. What is self-control? Self-control is when you have control over yourself, whether it's your body, your actions, or your emotions. God wants us to be a representative of Christ, so in order to do that we have to be self conscious of what we do. You can't be a representative of Christ and continue to lose your anger, curse and give into the lusts of the world.

As humans, we can't be perfect. No matter how hard we try we can't live the way Jesus lived. However, God expects us to try harder than our best to be like Him. That is why we have to learn to control our self. Controlling our self, however, is easier said then done.

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Peter 1:13)

What does Jesus mean when he says "Prepare your mind for action?" He's talking about being ready for the time when you're tempted.

Think ahead and prepare yourself for it! Satan doesn't tempt us every minute of the day, but often throughout the day. This means the first thing you should do is start your day with prayer.

Praying at the beginning of the day is something you should do, but it isn't enough. If you're going to be tempted throughout the day you need to pray throughout the day too. You can't overcome temptation without the help of God. It's too hard and you'll only succeed one out of ten times.

Every time Satan starts tempting you, you should immediately kick him out of your head and then pray that the Lord replaces that thought of temptation with something else. That's how you exhibit self-control. It's done with prayer and the help of Jesus, not by ourselves.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1:12)