CULTIVATING SELF-CONTROL

Today’s society is a society characterized by excesses and addictions. We need to realize that we are capable of indulging in these un-healthy behaviors if we do not exercise self-control. A person who has self-control avoids extreme behavior and exercises self-restraint in both actions and speech. Restraint and self-control aren’t always easy because we have our own free will and we must choose to be of good behavior and temperate in our conduct. Our motivation and goal should be to have every area of our lives under control so we can accomplish God’s purposes in our lives.

We all experience times when we simply do not know what to do. We want to do the right thing, but we are stuck in a gray area of not knowing what that might be. The Bible not only has special instructions about what we should or should not do, but it gives us principles about our behavior too. Henry Ward Beecher said, “The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running aground on rocks.”

Self-control is one of the greatest abilities we can have. Self-control and self-discipline work together. Sometimes we may entertain improper feelings that urge us to do something that is mentally, physically, or spiritually harmful. Temptation feeds on these feelings and this is where we either win or lose the battle against sinful behaviors that will spiral our lives out of control if they are put into action. It is very important that we exercise self-control of our thoughts, emotions and speech. Our mind is a fertile ground where sinful thoughts begin. Sinful thoughts are like a deadly disease. If we don’t deal with these thoughts in the very beginning they will become actions in the real world and will wreak devastation in our lives. The more we prevent the spread of sinful thoughts, the less we will have to wrestle with them. We can’t let garbage build up in our minds. Too often we know what to do, but we do not do it. Instead, we allow our emotions to over rule our judgment.

The question we must ask ourselves is: “Who or what controls our lives?” We need to constantly discipline our bodies by avoiding any activities that would be harmful to them. We must discipline our thinking by being cautious about what we read, watch or think. We must determine to feed our minds truth and purity. Our spiritual life must be disciplined by developing habits of Bible study and prayer. Without self-control we can easily be led into sin that will hinder us in our spiritual walk. Our goal should be to master those things that will destroy us. Sound judgment is critical to the exercise of self-control. Sound judgment enables us to determine the boundaries of moderation in our appetites, desires, and habits. It helps us regulate our thoughts and keep our emotions under control. Paul gave us some great advice, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”(Philippians 4:8) NIV This is the key to help us keep our thoughts pure.