What does it mean to be temperate in all things?
To be temperate in all things means maintaining a balanced, middle-of-the-road approach in every area. It avoids going to extremes on the right or left, whether in parenting, business, or the Christian life, so that one runs to win the race without excess or neglect.
Les explains that verse 25 describes everyone who strives for the mastery as temperate in all things; to strive for mastery means to be first, to be the winner. Being temperate means you maintain a balance: you don't go clear off to the right or clear off to the left, but you keep a middle balance. He illustrates this with disciplining children—over-discipline or under-discipline both produce rebels, so a middle-of-the-road temperate approach is needed. He also uses business: too much inventory or bare shelves both lead to failure, so the temperate balance must be maintained. The same applies to running the Christian life: don't go off the deep end to the right or left, but maintain that balance, being temperate in all things. Earlier he notes believers are to run to win the race.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
More Questions
How does temperance apply to running the Christian life?
The Christian life works the same way as these examples: you don't go clear off to the right or clear off to the left, but you maintain that balance, being temperate in all things.