“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV)
“Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.” (Titus 2:2 NLT)
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:5-9 NKJV)
“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” (Proverbs 25:28 NLT)
The last fruit listed is definitely an important fruit to have growing in my life. This is a fruit that I personally need as much or more than any of the fruit. I have struggled with food addiction most of my life. On my own I would be in the book of world records by now as the world’s heaviest man (or maybe the most Little Debbie snack cakes eaten). I have also been addicted to alcohol and tobacco. Praise the Lord, He has delivered and set me free from both of these. With food I am still learning to depend on the Holy Spirit for self – control.
It took me far too long to understand that when the Bible talks about self – control it is not talking about me myself taking control of the things in my life. The world is all about self. Satan, the king of self, wants me to be self-sufficient. He knows that on my own I am very limited, and relying on self will eventually fail. Trying to be in control will burn me out. Bible self – control is about allowing the Lord to take control of my life and the things that are trying to control me. I am to die to self, and allow the Holy Spirit to live through me.
The fruit of self – control is the fruit of having my self controlled by the Holy Spirit which in turn gives me the power to control whatever needs to be controlled in my life. Since learning this lesson I have been tobacco and alcohol free (with no cravings). I have lost 100 pounds and have been freed from the need for medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and depression. If the Holy Spirit can do this for me, He can do it for you.
I love…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 50: “I am a Fruit Grower in the Kingdom of Heaven (quality fruit to give away).” Part 10: Self-Control