One of the major problems today is that too many of us try to control people and circumstances without learning the discipline of controlling ourselves. Our Master Jesus walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. He understood that the Source of his strength and power came from the Spirit that dwelled within him. The paradigm Jesus Christ set was that of controlling one’s self according to the Word of God, so that others and situations will respond not to chaos and confusion, but to the love and power of God within us.
Proverbs 25:28(ESV) tells us, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” A broken city that is without walls has no defense, and therefore, there is no strength to be found within the city or outside of it. Our Heavenly Father tells us in Proverbs 25:28 that a person without self-control is like that city. This person is someone that reacts to situations and circumstances emotionally and physically instead of responding to them with faith in God.
We react according to impulses in heated situations because we don’t have confidence in our standing in Christ. Romans 8:37(ESV) declares, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we have been equipped to overcome every situation with the victory of his love. This should be so etched in our consciousness that we automatically respond to anyone or anything we face with the strength and power of God’s love.
Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and this tells us that self-control is an inside job. Through the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live a life of self-control. We can be disciplined in the way that we speak, in our attitudes, and in how we respond to others. Sadly, we don’t see a whole lot of self-control in our everyday environments. Instead, we witness many people behaving in an out of control manner. Whether it’s road rage, arguments, or just being negative and defensive, people are not controlling what comes out of their mouths. They’re lashing out over the smallest things.
When we do this, lashing out and retaliating with negative emotions and actions, we are allowing ourselves to be controlled by our flesh and emotions instead of allowing Jesus Christ to be Lord over the situation at hand. God tells us in Romans 12:2(ESV), “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The culture of the world is to be reactionary, negative, and controlling, but as God’s children of light and love, He commands us to reject this. We must not allow ourselves to take on the culture of the world. Instead, we are to put on the mind of Christ and respond to situations in the same way that he did when he walked upon this earth.
We can imitate Christ in all we do because of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit that Christ made available to us. God commands us in Galatians 5:16 to walk by the Spirit, to live by him and allow him to lead, guide, and direct us in life. The Holy Spirit lives on the inside of us, and this means we can respond to people and situations according to the standard of God’s love.
Sadly, many of us are not choosing to do this. We’ve grown too accustomed to allowing our feelings to interfere with our good judgment. 2Timothy 1:7(ESV) tells us “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” We must make a shift and understand that God has given us the power to be disciplined and in control of ourselves.
I recently watched a man handle a situation regarding his son. You know how we can get when it comes to our children, and his son had been mistreated by a store clerk. This father was so on point and exuded the grace of God as he handled the situation. He wasn’t belligerent, unkind, or indignant. He rejected the expected and behaved completely opposite of how many of us would have addressed this. He left an indelible mark upon his son of what it means to be a disciplined and strong man.
Jesus Christ went through every kind of oppression we can imagine, but not once did he allow his flesh to dictate his actions and choices. He always did what pleased the Father. We can’t forget that Jesus Christ came to earth and dwelled among us as a human being. Just as we have free-will, so did he, but he submitted his own will to our Heavenly Father, and we must follow his example. We must renew our minds to God’s Word and have self-control so that we can be like Christ is all that we do.■
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
“Self-Control”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.