Self-Control
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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