The Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control
Galatians 5:22-23
Advent conspiracy video during offering – Susan shares after
During coffee – show marshmallow video.
Advent – entering into the time of lack of control!
Galatians 5:22-3
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
What is Self-Control?
Star Article – Marshmallow test
It’s called the Marshmallow Test. And some neuroscientists believe it is a critical first step needed to improve schooling.
"It’s going to be huge," says Martin Westwell, a neuroscientist at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, adding that many studies show it foretells success in life more accurately than how well a child can read or do math.
The Marshmallow Test got its name from an experiment at Stanford University in the 1960s on 4-year-old nursery school pupils. Researchers told children that they could have one thing they really wanted right away – a marshmallow, or a candy or a cookie, for example – but if they could wait while the researcher left the room and came back about 15 minutes later, they could have two.
It was designed to test self-control. The researchers, led by psychologist Walter Mischel, found only about 30 per cent of more than 600 children tested could hold out.
That’s as far as it went until the early 1980s, when Mischel followed up and discovered the children who had been able to wait for two marshmallows were also doing better academically.
Jonah Lehrer, in a recent New Yorker magazine article, reports those children who waited 15 minutes averaged 210 points higher – more than 10 per cent – on college entrance exams than did those who could wait only 30 seconds.
Here’s the really exciting thing: Like math and reading, these skills can be taught and learned. They are not genetic. We can all learn how to get more marshmallows.
What is Self-Control?
Self-control is the ability to wait for the second marshmallow – to keep our desires, lusts, … in check – that we control them, they do not control us.
I think that everyone has difficulty in self-control in at least one area of their life.
Addictions, weaknesses, food, (Häagen-Dazs) anger, anxiety, fear, sexuality, the need to control others, (Bailey keeping all the squirrels up in the trees) gossip, talking…
I remember when Bill Clinton was dealing with the whole Monica Lewinski affair, there was a psychiatrist on a show talking about weather Clinton had a sexual addiction. He said that he though it was more like sexual incontinence! Incontinence – lack of control
“I just couldn’t help myself.” – by the Help of the Spirit, you could help yourself!
Where do you lack Self-Control? - do you laugh it off, excuse it, or do you want the Fruit of Self Control to grow?
How does the Spirit grow self-control within us?
The Bible doesn’t talk much about self-control: in general, the writers don’t trust the “self” much, so they speak more about being controlled by the Holy Spirit than controlling yourself.
Romans 8:5-17
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The sinful mind is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but are in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Ø The Spirit sets our minds on life and peace
Ø If you are a Christian you have the Holy Spirit
Ø But you still have “the flesh” (The sinful nature) – it’s dead it just doesn’t know it yet. – 2 dog story – feed the Spirit.
Ø Our obligation is to the Spirit – out of thankfulness, we serve the Spirit – we have been brought from death to life!
Ø We have an inheritance – a great reward – we can be grabbing for things here, or we can wait for a much greater reward later. – Go for the two marshmallows!
Ø The reward is now – Holy Spirit sized hole in our hearts – if we fill that hole constantly, we will not feel the need to fill it with the things that we have a hard time controlling!
How do we cultivate Self-Control?
Train yourself – The marshmallow article says you can develop self-control!
1Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Self discipline in athletic training – Lance Armstrong – weighing his food, out on his bike when everyone else is in the pub…
He had his eyes on the prize – we too will find ourselves more motivated to be self-controlled if we know what the prize is, and we set our eyes on it.
We can train ourselves to self-control – the article about the marshmallows said you can learn self-control!
Spiritual Disciplines
Fasting – giving up of food for a specific period, or giving up specific foods for longer periods – fasting brochures available.
It says to our stomachs, “You’re not the boss of me!
Advent conspiracy – talk about feasting and fasting – does not allow excess
Silence – if you have difficulty with talking, or media
It says to the media, “You not the boss of me!”
Extra help needed for addictions – lots of prayer, community, 12 step group…
Prayer for Self-Control
