Determination of Life or having self in control
Let us first look at what the Bible says about self-control. 2 PT 5-8 GAL 5:23 2 TIM 3 1-5
We would have to say that many of our problems that we face in life come from our lack of self-control. This is the last of the fruits of the spirit given to us. Many have gone to blame others for what is not happening in their lives but the problem is not others but me. PR 25:28. We could liken our lives to a car that is kept in good maintenance. It runs smoothly. A result of being in self-control would be that we are confident and feel secure. What do we achieve if we do not master self-control? 1 COR 9:25 “All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” The Olympics have just been completed and those that won the prize have been doing what they won for man years. One lady I heard about was at her fourth Olympic game. That means she has been in training for over 16 years. How many years have you been putting in for you spiritual life? The race that we are running is for eternal life. I have also found that if we want to be really free for the use of Jesus in my life I need to have self-control. One man said, “No man is truly free until he masters himself.” Jesus said that “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” An example from the O. T is Samson who was a strong man but was slave to his lusts because he lacked self control. We can be strong but if we lack self-control we get into trouble. How many ways are there that people try to gain self-control? There are pills you can take, therapy classes, seminars, making resolutions, and even surgery that are offered to help. I read that one way to lose weight is to use the Gastric Bubble Program which involves putting a big plastic bubble into your stomach. The reason is that your stomach will feel full so you will eat less. Have you tried that? We hear of quick and simple ways to improve our lives and they might work for a while but many do not last because we still have the human nature to deal with. I know that it takes a little longer but if we use the word of God it will help us develop self-control in the right way. As we have given in all the fruits before we will give ways from God’s word to help us in this fruit of the Spirit.
1. We need to admit that we have a problem. We need to take responsibility for our lack of self-control. James 1:14 “Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires.” This is telling we do wrong things because we like to. It comes from an inner desire. We can say, “I don’t have a problem that is just the way I am, it is the family I was born into, or the devil made me do it.” When we fix the blame on someone else we cannot fix the problem. God says we are responsible for our own behavior. RM 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." Two kinds of servitude are contrasted here. One brings death as its wages; the other results in eternal life, not as wages earned or merited, but as a gift of God. 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, I JN 1:10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. With sin in our life we do not have self-control and so our first step in getting self-control is admitting we are sinners. Have you taken that step yet?
2. We need let go of our past. Phil 3:13, 14. We cannot go with the feeling that I was once a failure and I will always be that way. It is not saying I have tried before to be what I want to be but it just did not work out so I give up. Failure in the past does not mean you can never change. If we keep our focus on the past failure that is where we will stay. How far would you get if you tried to drive your car by looking out the rearview mirror all the time? That is way the windshield is so much bigger. What if you did this when you were first trying to walk? I tried three times and I just can not get the hang of it. Learning how to ride a bike took me many tries and crashes but once I took off what a great feeling. To learn self-control one needs to let go of the past. Try again. Do not call it a failure but a learning experience.
3. WE NEED TO TALK TO OUR FEELINGS. There has been a lot of emphasis put on how you feel today. Many of us would not get much done if we only went by our feelings. We need to protest how we feel. How many of us would do the daily things that we need to do like dishes, making the bed, taking out the garbage, washing the clothes or cleaning our bodies if we only went by I’ll do it when I feel like it? On the other side how many of us would be wrong if we went by our feelings. Like I want to watch the TV more though it is time to get some sleep. I want to sleep in until noon. I feel like a third helping of food. I do not feel like doing what my boss or teacher wants me to do. Feelings are very undependable. We can talk back to our feelings. Titus 2:11-12 ‘For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God.” It is by God’s grace that we can do what is right. He gives us to say no to the feelings or desires or impulses that are wrong.
4. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CHANGE. It is by believing that we change. What you believe controls your behavior. As we have gone through each fruit I have mentioned that in developing them begins in your thought life. If you are going to think right you have to put in your mind what is right. What you think decides how you feel and how you feel decides how you will act. So if you say, “I can’t do it” or “I can do it” you are right. Have you set yourself up to be defeated by what you say? What the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve. In 1 PT it tells us three times we need to be clear-minded and self-controlled. What we put in our mind will have much to do with our self-control. God gave us power to change our way of life when He gave us the power to choose. Romans 12:1 tell us we are changed by the renewing of our mind. When your self control is being tested we need to fill our mind with the Word of God. One verse that should be in your memory bank is 1 COR 10:13. God is in control and never puts more on us than we can take. We also have PHIL 4:13 and 2 COR 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Mark 9:23 “Everything possible to him that believeth.”
5. WE MUST MAKE OURSELF ACCOUNTABLE. Do you have some one who checks up on you spiritually? You need to have some one who will check up on you, pray for you and encourage you in the areas that you want to develop in being more like Christ. ECC 4:12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” It is good to have some one you can call upon when it seems your defenses are down to resist evil and temptation seems great. Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. We need a buddy system in which we can count on some one that will help us in our spiritual walk. A wife or husband could be that person but it is also to find a trusted friend to help you. The other person should be a one that you can ask permission to be one that will help you. Not everyone who you know will want to be put in this position so it is good o ask them. You also might have to test them to see if hey will be the right kind of person. Share something with them and see if it gets spread around and if it does end the relationship quickly. Once you find some one you can trust then ask them to ask you as often as you want, “How are you doing with your spiritual life or a problem they know you are working with?” This will help in your self control.
6. In becoming more self-controlled you need to avoid things that will be a sure temptation. Stay away from things that will weaken your self-control. It is a good thing if you do not want to be stung to stay away from the bees. Plan in advance to avoid that which you know would be tempted in a way you know would be easy to give into. If you are trying to lose weight do not leave a box of candy where you know it is easy to get to. If you have trouble spending write out a budget and when you shop put down what you need to buy and do not let other things get in your shopping cart. Do not go down isles that would be tempting for you to buy. Do not let the TV control you for it is a fantasy world. Are there books, magazines that you know are not good for your mind that you let yourself read? EPH 4:27 Do not give the devil a foothold. 1 COR 15:33 "bad company corrupts good character." This is perhaps as hard thing to do because we cannot choose who we work with. FROM SAINT PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE: Christ be with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me. Christ in me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ on my right. Christ on my left. Christ where I lie. Christ where I sit. Christ where I arise. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me. Christ in every eye that sees me. Christ in every ear that hears me. Salvation is of the Lord. Use your uniqueness (what you do). To make a big deal out of God, why you do it. Every day of your life, where you do it. This tells me that no matter where I am or who I am with Christ is always with me. Listen to the children’s story “FROG AND TOAD TOGETHER.” Is your will power as strong as the toad’s? What in your life do you need to feed to the birds? Let us review our steps so far Admit you have a problem, let go of the past, talk to your feelings with good thoughts, believe that you can change because of Christ in you, have someone you will give account to and they will commit to helping you spiritually and avoid what we know will make it easy for us to be tempted.
7. Our last step in becoming more self-controlled is to let Christ’s power rule our lives. GAL 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” GAL 5:16 his I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If we a line our lives with the Spirit we will not give into the desires of the flesh that war against the soul. Many have gotten this process backwards and think and say once I get my act together, once I get control of this habit then I will really live for God. With my life the way it is I am not good enough for Christ to direct my life. I simply ask you when is that ever going to happen. Christ says let me into your life and then the Holy Spirit will be able to control your life as it should be. It would be like saying when I get to feeling better I will take the medicine or when I feel well I will go see the doctor. When I break this bad habit I will start coming to church for then I will be good enough to be there. When I get all my problems solved I will let Christ into my life. We need to put our trust in Christ and turn our lives over to Him and then let Him change us. I do not come to church because I have it. HB 11:25 “to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” If sin was not enjoyable we would not even give it a thought. PH 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” God gives you the desire to do right and also enables you with the power to do right. You need to let Him have your life in His control. God is very good to those who trust in him and often surprises them with unlooked for blessings. Little do we know what may happen to us tomorrow, but this sweet fact may cheer us, that no good thing shall be withheld? Chance is banished from the faith of Christians, for they see the hand of God in everything. The trivial events of today or tomorrow may involve consequences of the highest importance. Charles Spurgeon
