Self Control

It is a struggle, whether it is being careful about what I say, what I do, how I do something or what choices I make.  Self control.  It is the last listed of the stated fruit of the Spirit in Galations 5, and probably the most illusive.  It is a challenge that we all are faced with not only daily but sometimes on a moment by moment basis. But when you peel the onion one layer at a time it comes down to the very core of the need for self control is sin itself. And sin cannot be overcome merely by our wanting and our limited power, but only by living and walking in the power of the Spirit. And the question becomes do I master sin or does sin master me? Then the next question is: How do I attain self control?

John Crimmins, my pastor,  delivered a power packed message on this topic yesterday and I suspect due to his simplified examples and visually illustrated demonstations, that I will be able to hold on his stated truths for quite some time. This is going to take you back a few years but do you remember that snake in the can? It was a fabric covered spring that exploded when you opened the can and if you were not familiar with it, it would scare the pants off of you. Well this was his first example.  And he used it in reference to kids going off to college.  They are bound at home with rules and boundaries, but when they leave home, the cap comes off and they are free to make choices of their own without the confining boundaries that they have been accustomed to. And more often than not, they flounder through the freedom and are caught in webs of worldly deception, that are hard to reign back in.  Kind of like pitting that snake back in the can.  We all need boundaries, and the paradox here is that to gain self mastery, we must surrender ourselves to the ways of the Spirit, recognizing that we are powerless over our own impulses, and cling close to our creator. The can that the snake is enveloped in is secure, and binding, and the only way we can be assured that the snake of sin is mastered in our lives is to have him bound in the wake of the Spirit.  If we try to follow God in the strength of the flesh and not in the strength of the Spirit, we might have an occasional victory but never a lasting one.  

The next example just made me laugh, remember Gomer Pyle.  He just never could get in step, and no matter how insistent  Lieutenant Carter was in his ranting, Gomer could not get his march in tune with the rest of the squad. I don't know why but when Crimmins mimicked Gomer, in his effort to make his point,  it was such a visual to me that I too have a hard time keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. It takes training, lots of training and so does self control. Self control is only available on a moment by moment basis. There are times when God wants us to speed up or slow down, but to get it right, we have to be paying attention to His lead, and willing to make adjustments accordingly.  

This whole effort to overcome sin, and master self control find its roots at the cross. Christ, through his suffering and resurrecting power gave us the ability to tap into the power of His Spirit, thus giving us the edge over flesh to be masters of sin.  For it is the nature of the Spirit to produce self control, and if we are immersed in the Spirit in our walk and our ways, then we will have the power and have the momentum to say no when our own nature is vying for a yes.  

Close your eyes for a minute and just imagine that snake in the can...and the havoc of fear, and explosive launch that comes from loosening the lid and allowing the escape of the once confined serpent to be set free. It may be entertaining for a moment but the moment is fleeting, and to get him back in the can is a true feat of patience and skill.  That is the way it is with self control; when we lose our grip on it and allow it to be set free, it might produce a moment of satisfaction, in words we say, confrontations we embark upon, anger unleashed, lusts submitted to, etc. but there will always be regret.  We cannot take back those things that we have done or said but we can ask God to forgive us and help us get back in step with him and surround us with boundaries that will keep us focused on Him rather than our earthly desires.

Self control may be illusive in our own human power but by the power of our Lord, and through the power of the Lord, he has made is available to all who walk in his ways. If we want to be self controlled, then we must seek the source from where it is generated, and that is the Spirit of Christ.  Are you the master of sin, or is sin the master of you?  Step by step he leads us.

Proverbs 25:28

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.  

Dear Lord, Self control may be illusive but it is attainable through your Spirit.  May we learn to walk in your Sprit and depend on the power of your Spirit, and be content to live within your boundaries of freedom.   Amen            

 

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!