Most of us probably think of self control, in relation, to getting revenge. My first thought when thinking of self control is keeping myself from slinging mean words at someone who has threatened me. It is holding back from hurting someone who has hurt me. Revenge seems like the natural response, when we are threatened, to defend ourselves. God is telling us there is a different way to handle our problems and temptations. He has given us a way out! He has given us self-control!
Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written,
“I will take vengeance;
I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord.
Instead do what the Scriptures say;
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink,
and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.”
Romans 12:19-20
The 9th gift of Christmas is one that God has modeled for us since the beginning of time and a characteristic of Jesus that just blows me away. Jesus wandered in the dessert for 40 days without food and water. In a very vulnerable moment when Jesus was starving and tired, He was tempted by satan to end all that suffering. Jesus had the self control to stay devoted to God’s plan. Jesus showed a ridiculous amount of self-control when he was being beaten and hung on the cross. “The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed, “He saved others”, they said, “let Him save himself if he is really God’s Chosen One, the Messiah.” (Luke 23:35) How many of us would have just stuck around saying very few words while soldiers mocked us and whipped us to near death?
Aside from getting revenge, self-control is needed to make the right decisions in life. We have to be able to distinguish between what we know is right and what we want, which so often can be two very different things. Even before His beating Jesus had the will power to turn Himself in. He knew what was coming and He was still able to continue with God’s plan. Yes, He was indeed scared and prayed very hard for the situation to change but He had the self control to walk straight into suffering and death, for us. The beautiful thing is that from God, through the Holy Spirit, we have that same self-control.
Jesus knew God on a very personal level and because He knew Him He could do the right thing even if it meant His own suffering. Knowing God leads to self-control (2 Peter 1:6). When we walk with Him, read the bible and form a relationship with Him, we get to know God and we begin to learn who He is. The more we know God the better we understand who God wants us to be. We learn self discipline and the ability to pursue what we know is right despite temptations from the world. We begin training our minds to think from a godly perspective and act in a godly way even when the world says otherwise. Through self discipline and transforming of our minds, God gives us self-control.
God has not given us a spirit of fear, and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
Self-control is the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires, especially in difficult situations. Along with His gift of self-control, God also gives us free will. He has allowed us to make our own choices. God will never make us choose Him or His commands but He has given us the Holy Spirit which, if we allow, gives us the power to have self-control and make decisions that are pleasing to God.
And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God.
Titus 2:12
As was mentioned yesterday....God never instructs us to do something that we aren’t capable of doing. He would never expect us to live a life of self-control if we couldn’t do it. If every person is capable of having self-control then it is within each of us. It isn’t something that we have to find on our own, nor is it something that we have to display on our own power. Self-control is possible through the help of the Holy Spirit. Most people just don’t call on that help. They aren’t disciplined, nor have they trained themselves to understand the power that they truly possess. God has given us gifts that for many sit idle because we don’t accept them and we aren’t willing to use them. So from now on, if you are one of those people, ignore the word self in self-control.........don’t let it make you think it is something you must do on your own!
(First Published on December 21, 2013)
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