Self-Control

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Self-Control

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV) 

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Devotion

          What Paul has given us above is a vice list. Consider this day in which we live. Are we not surrounded by people who display these types of behavior every chance they get? But the one trait I would like to pick out of this list is self-control. Why choose that particular vice out of this list for discussion? I believe if we have self-control most of the other vices will go away on their own. For example, it is difficult if not impossible to be brutal and have self-control. In fact, a majority of the unpleasant behaviors listed above simply dissolve in the presence of a person with self-control.

          The New Testament actually has quite a lot to say about self-control. There are 38 uses of the term in the ESV. For example, from 2nd Timothy again we find “7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7) Here we see Paul explaining to his young fellow soldier in the fight of faith, exactly what weapons God gives the child of God to aid them in the fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The child of God who is walking in the way of faith can count on having God’s power, God’s love, and Godly self-control to steady themselves as they walk in the way of God’s will.

          In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he once again mentions self-control:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:22-24)

Paul here gives us the fruit of the Spirit. He begins with love as the first facet of the fruit of the Spirit and then Paul ties the whole list together with “self-control” as its conclusion. Notice that fruit of the spirit in the original Greek is singular. Just one fruit having many different facets. You either have them all or you have none of them at all. They are not like the spiritual gifts where some people have one gift and someone else has another different gift. We need to pray that more Christians will be filled with the fruit of the spirit that we may bring that fruit to bear on a culture that so badly needs it.

          Our culture feeds us the line “if it feels right, do it”. God’s word is set against that idea. Self-control is like a stop sign. It keeps us safe from acting in ways that are contrary to God’s will as revealed in His word. God’s Spirit is constantly looking forward to the day when we become self-controlled. Let us pray that God will increase our self-control.

Prayer:

          Heavenly Father we worship you for making us able to control our selves so that we may be obedient to your will. Hear the cry of our hearts. Help us as we seek to walk in your ways. Keep us close to you as we seek to follow you more closely. Show us ways we may increase in showing for your power, love, and self-control as we walk in your world. May we be witnesses to the salvation that you have provided through Jesus Christ. Help us to let all the world know of your majesty and love. In the name and power of Jesus we pray. Amen.

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