Meditations on Self-Control

A fruit of the Holy Spirit

There's something about Fall that gets me fired up! Do you ever feel this way? Like you have so many things your heart desires to see come to fruition, but there's just not enough of you to make it all happen? That's where self-control comes in. It's the ability to control our thoughts, emotions, and actions. 

When I was still a student, I always loved this time of year. It meant shopping for school clothes, football games, cooler weather, and being back in the community with my friends. That same energy still exhilarates me today, but now it's used for different things and, even now, I have to really exercise some self-control or I will plan too much and dream too big (if that's possible)!  For some of you, this time of year could create stress, anxiety or overwhelm. 

What seems to help me manage this tension the most is slowing down to look for guidance from God's Word and waiting for the Holy Spirit to guide me. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

When we know and trust God, the Spirit helps us discern His will, but we cannot do that unless we know His Word!

My pastor reminded us this week that we can easily deceive ourselves by thinking we “know” Him because we know “about” Him. These things are not the same. Scripture tells us that even the demons believe in God (James 2:19). If we say we believe in God, but there is no evidence of our faith, then we better be checking ourselves!

Knowing God and His will so we can exercise self-control is all about being in a relationship with him, not us practicing our religion. The key difference to note here is that true self-control is not accomplished by managing and controlling our behaviors, it is about being fully surrendered to the power of Christ in our lives.

John 17:3

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Want to go deeper on Self-Control? Check out this post.