A Virtuous LifeNäide

Self-Control

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

The last fruit that gets produced in our lives when we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit is self-control. And this virtue is the one that holds the rest of them together. How so?

Self-control is the ability to choose how we respond to an event, action, or person.

Without self-control, we become slaves to our emotions and reactions. Instead of intentionally deciding what we want to do, we find ourselves saying and doing things that we wish we wouldn’t.

In Romans, the Apostle Paul describes the frustration of not being in control of one’s own self this way:

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. …Romans 7:15-25 NLT

All of us have been affected by sin, a disease of selfishness that drives us to disobey God and do things that hurt others. That’s why, so often, it seems like we are not in control of our own lives, because another power is trying to hijack the steering wheel! But, thanks be to God that, through Jesus, we can be rescued from the power of sin and filled by the Holy Spirit. And with the Holy Spirit leading us, we can develop the virtue of self-control, the ability to choose how we respond to an event, action, or person.

The virtue of self-control has been called a number of things. Some have called it discipline, choosing what matters most over what you want now. Others have called it centeredness, responding based on wisdom and values, not emotions or circumstances. In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, author Steven Covey called it “being proactive instead of reactive.”

All of these ideas are getting at the same truth: We were given the gift of free will, the ability to choose what we will and won’t do. And with such an amazing gift, there is a great responsibility that comes with it. Because the gift we have been given isn’t just meant to benefit ourselves. It’s meant for the good of others! To worship God and serve people. And, thankfully, because of Jesus’ work on the cross and resurrection from the dead, the Holy Spirit is working in our lives to give us the ability to respond to whatever may happen in ways that glorify God and are good for others.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NLT

Sin may be powerful, but the Spirit of God is greater. He is working in you, giving you the ability and the drive to do what He has called you to do.

So, how do we cultivate the virtue of self-control in our lives? It’s actually pretty simple.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:24-25 NLT

How does the Holy Spirit lead us? Sometimes, He prompts us, nudges us, or gives us an idea or a thought that He wants us to act on. Sometimes, He uses other believers to teach us, challenge us, or encourage us in the things we’re meant to do. Both are important and necessary parts of the Christian life. But the primary way that God speaks to us today—and the Holy Spirit leads us—is through His Word.

It was the Holy Spirit who worked with human authors to put the Scriptures on paper so that every generation could know and understand who God is, how great His love is for us, and how we’re meant to live as His people.

So, here are three practices designed to help you get the most out of your Bible reading and to help you follow the Holy Spirit wherever He leads:

1. Read one chapter of the gospels everyday.

The whole Bible is important and inspired, from Genesis to Revelation. All of it reveals God’s heart for us and how we’re meant to live in relationship with Him. The Old Testament tells the story of God working with and through humanity until the arrival of Jesus. The New Testament begins with the birth of Jesus and concludes with His second coming.

The heart of the Scriptures is the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), the four accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. This is what the Old Testament points toward, and what the rest of the New Testament is built on. All of it matters, but as a follower of Jesus, one of the best things you can do to continually grow in your faith is to keep coming back to the person of Jesus and all that He said and did.

2. Look for ways to apply God’s Word to your life.

The power of God’s Word isn’t just found in reading it, it also comes from living it! Think about it like this: If the Holy Spirit is guiding you in a direction, and you decide to go the other way, or you straight up refuse to move, you’re not following the lead of the Spirit. And if you aren’t following His lead, you won’t cultivate His fruit in your life. That’s why it matters to let your Bible reading influence the things you’re doing.

3. Tell people about what God is showing you.

We don’t keep the good news of what God has done, or the wisdom of His Word, to ourselves. We share it with others. Why? Because we want everyone to experience the blessing of knowing and following God, because His ways are better! And one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to others.

This is how we work with the Holy Spirit to cultivate the virtue of self-control. God wants you to be a person of virtue. He wants your life to be a reflection of His goodness to the rest of the world. If you’ll let Him, He will show you how and shape you into someone who loves others the same way Jesus does.

If you want to keep growing in your faith and studying God’s Word, then start reading one of these Plans next:

• Learning the Jesus Way of Life: A Guided Journey through Matthew’s Gospel
• What is Real Love? A Verse by Verse Study of 1 John
• The Sermon on the Mount: A 21-Day Guide to the Greatest Sermon Ever Preached