Losing self-control leaves you as helpless as a city without a wall. Proverbs 25:28 (CEV)
The Christmas season as it’s celebrated in our culture often includes overeating, overshopping, overspending, oversocializing, drinking to excess, jampacked schedules, and generally just burning the candle at both ends. So talking about self-control in December may seem as odd as singing Silent Night in August.
Plus, self-control is harder now than ever before, thanks to an unholy alliance of the internet, smart phones, 24/7 news, advertisers, influencers and others piercing the walls of our homes and personal boundaries with a steady bombardment of messages to eat, drink, buy, or experience this or that pleasure.
Still, it’s necessary to discuss self-control. For one, it’s the last of the nine attributes that Paul called “the fruit of the Spirit,” and no study of this fruit is complete without examining the last part. Second, it’s crucial. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll explains it’s the fruit of the Spirit’s “muscle.” It’s the discipline that makes the first eight possible. In other words, there’s no way a person lacking self-control can experience lasting peace, patience, faithfulness, etc.
Cities in Bible and Medieval times often had walls for protection; the Chinese even had a Great Wall for their whole country. That’s why today’s verse claims a person lacking discipline is as helpless and vulnerable as a town without its security barriers.
Many mistakenly believe the Bible aims to limit our freedoms and happiness, but here we see Scripture is given for our own good. Can you imagine attaining anything of value…educational, career, family, health, financial…that doesn’t require some measure of consistent self-discipline?
Someone defined self-control as “Being able to say ‘no’ to lesser things so you can be free to say ‘yes’ to better things.”
We may laugh at the old line, “I can resist anything but temptation.” Yet, the Bible in 1 Cor. 10:13 promises us a way out.
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (NIV).
The strength must come ultimately from God and His power, not our own limited willpower “bucket.” The first step is to confess your sins to God and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Then, you will receive God’s Holy Spirit who gives you the power to live the Christian life.
One way to get practical: move the battle from one area to another. For example, a Christian student in Canada walked to and from class but lost his daily battle to keep his eyes off the alluring images in the windows of a pornographic store.
Solution? He started taking a different route to school, so he moved the battle from his eyes to his feet.
How about you?
Struggling with social media sucking too much of your time and soul? Delete the apps off your phone and log off the webpage on your PC.
Toiling to shun the unhealthy snacks and drinks calling your name in the kitchen? Stop buying them and bringing them in the house.
Kicking yourself for your out-of-control spending habits? Cut up your credit cards and use the cash envelope system.
The possibilities are endless. Ask God in prayer for the wisdom and strength to do it.
There is no law against these traits of the fruit of the Spirit. You may not understand the chronology of the End Times or articulate abstract theological points, but if you have these nine traits in increasing measure in your life, you are walking a successful spiritual walk.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23 NASB)
Take the next step: What is one area of your life…relationships, career, health, financial, spiritual, etc….where more self-control could help you grow to the next level? What is one physical change to your environment you can make today to help make self-control more attainable for you?
S.D.G./S.G.D.
