Developing Self-Control

We've come to the final fruit of the Spirit:: self-control. Any wonder the list begins with love and ends with self-control? Personally I think, out of all nine, they are the most difficult part of the fruit to exhibit! As we have been learning, God is continuing to develop this fruit in our life and wants to make it a part of our character, so that our character will reflect the character of His Son, Jesus.

We all know what self-control, or the lack of it, looks like! Proverbs 25:28 describes it as: "Like a city whose walls are broken down, is a man who lacks self-control." When we have "lost it" and our walls are broken down, we are vulnerable to attacks from our Enemy. We have lost our security and protection. We cannot afford to be defenseless and open to temptations because of our lack of self-control.

Let's look at three verses from I Peter that remind us of the importance of being self-controlled.

1) I Peter 1:13 - "... prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled ...." We must be prepared for action; for battle against the Enemy. We must not allow our unreliable feelings and our unpredictable thoughts to interfere with our actions. We must be self-controlled in our thinking.

2) I Peter 4:7 - "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." Have you ever tried to pray when your mind is full of "stuff"? All the stuff you have to do, the things that people have said, your worries and concerns, etc. Peter is pointing out that in order to be self-controlled and able to pray, we must be clear-minded. When does it seem that the Enemy strikes the easiest? When our mind is scattered and focused on the "stuff" of our life. Don't let this lack of self-control lead to an inability to pray!

3) I Peter 5: 8 - "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." When we lack self-control, we are not alert to our surroundings. We are focused on ourselves and satisfying our own desires....Watch Out! When our "walls are broken" and we are unprotected is when the Enemy will attack. We must be alert. We must realize that Satan is on the prowl. He's not sleeping in a corner somewhere, he is watching and waiting for our most vulnerable time to pounce on us and if we're not in control and alert, we will fall prey. Also notice, he doesn't just want to scare us or nip at our heels, his plan is to devour us! Destroy us! Defeat us! Depress us! Whatever it takes to make us uneffective for God's purposes. Don't be caught off guard.

My challenge for you today is to check "your walls." Are they broken down by lack of self-control in your life? Is your mind clear from distractions so that you are prepared for action and can pray? How alert are you to the Enemy's schemes? When we lack self-control, we lack focus on our surroundings.

The secret to self-control is Christ's control. If you have not done so yet, I'd encourage you to simply ask Him to take control of your life right now. You don't need to do this all on your own. Then, as you face temptations that are too strong for you to resist, remember that He is with you and you can turn them over to Him.

Remember, God provides the power to change your life!