But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

We are in our last week of the fruits of the spirit. Self-control is our topic of discussion for this week. Self-control is pretty self-explanatory. (Pun intended!) We control ourselves; our emotions, our actions, our thoughts, our desires, our tongues, in order to live a life reflective of the Spirit of God. Yes, it does cover a lot!

Needless to say, we all fall short of perfection, actually, at times we all probably fall short of acceptable! We all struggle, and we all have our own areas where self-control seems to be just out of reach. I tend to be a stress eater; I eat whenever I feel very stressed or anxious (which is a whole other topic!). I know I should take the stress and anxiety to the Lord in prayer and then I might not have this stress eating issue, but sometimes my self-control deserts me under the strain.

I always regret it and God is always faithful to forgive me my lapses. I strive to handle each day better than the day before and the Lord is with me to strengthen my self-control. Because, as a fruit of the spirit, it is only with the help of the Spirit that we can exercise true self-control for ourselves.

I want to share one of my favorite verses about self-control (self-discipline). “For God has not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” II Timothy 1:7 NLT God provides us with the power and love we need to master our bodies and our minds. We just have to receive it in thanksgiving and prayer. And apply all our efforts in order to master our fruit of the spirit of self-control. Sometimes we over control one area of our lives because another part seems beyond our control. God understands and can also provide the strength for balance in our lives.

This verse from Proverbs tells us where our priorities should be. Better to be patient than powerful, better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Proverbs 16:32 NLT. It is better to be patient and slow to anger, than to be a mighty warrior. It is better to have control over self, than to be the warrior who takes a city. Control over ourselves comes before we can be all that God has intended for our lives.

This week let’s be aware of our self-control issues and let’s look to our God and Creator to bless us with all of the fruits of the spirit.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me for our study of the fruits of the spirit as we continue to strive to reflect our Father and His Son in all our interactions.

Blessings and self-control as we take all things to the LORD and seek His guidance!