Let the Holy Spirit Help You Practice Temperance in All Things
Gal 5:22 - The fruit of the Spirit is self-control.
We live in an age of moral relativism where people want to be free to do whatever they feel like doing. Millions struggle to control their feelings, finances, speech, lusts, behaviors, worries, and relationships. However, if anyone has ever observed a reckless driver they know the destructiveness that can effect the lives of thousands because of one out of control individual. Without the Spirit’s fruit of self-control producing a greater level of agape love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control we are prisoners to the sinful nature’s tendencies of the flesh: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal. 5:19-21) We need the Spirit’s empowering to experience full victory over the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. Here are twelve ways the Holy Spirit and the word of God will help you practice greater self-control:
1. The Holy Spirit gives us the self-control to practice a self-restraint so that we are able to exhibit moderation in all our relationships, ministries and personal habits. Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is...self-control." (Gal. 5:23) Ask the Lord to give you an increasing ability to practice a self-restraint in your personal lifestyle, interpersonal interactions and ministry activities. This will include asking God for help in fleeing from youthful lusts and pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2 Tim. 2:22-24)
2. The Holy Spirit grants us the grace to exercise self-discipline enabling us to finish the ministry projects we begin. Paul wrote, "Run in such a way as to get the prize...Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (I Cor. 9:24-27) Ask the Lord to help you practice temperance by exhibiting Godly self-discipline enabling you to successfully complete the ministries that God has led you to undertake. Just as an athlete trains himself for the Olympics so we discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness knowing that it is profitable not only in the this life but also in the age to come. (I Tim. 4:7,8)
3. The Holy Spirit gives you the knowledge and wisdom to realize that Godly balance is better than extremism. Paul wrote, "Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible - but not everything is constructive." (I Cor. 10:23) Ask the Lord to give you greater knowledge and wisdom to help you practice a Godly balanced approach that avoids any extremist’s approaches - I.E. Legalism, judgmentalism, Intellectualism, Spiritism, Humanism, Traditionalism, etc. Ask the Lord to fill you with an ever increasing level of His knowledge, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge and the fear of the Lord so you do not have to judge by merely what you see but by the Spirit’s enlightenment. (Isa. 9:6)
4. The Holy Spirit enables you to do everything that God asks you to do with the help of Christ who gives you the strength and power. (Phil. 4:13 - Living Bible) Ask the Lord to help you to know when to pull back from harmful relationships, personal efforts and ministries. Trust the Lord to indicate to you when you are serving more in the power of the flesh than in the Spirit. It is not by power or by might but by God’s Spirit that he mountains of our life will be removed. He will make a way through the wilderness of life if we cry out to the Lord to bring down the mountains and make a stream in the desert of our life’s experiences. He gives us supernatural capabilities, competencies and conquering capacities through the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Zech. 4:6-10)
5. The Holy Spirit guides us in how to get out of our ruts, complacency or apathetic attitudes when we are becoming too lax toward our responsibilities. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." (Heb. 12:10) Ask the Lord to chasten you whenever you need to climb out of your ruts of complacency or apathetic attitudes or regimented thinking. Sometimes God uses storms, set-backs and loss in order to bring about a better long-term result in godliness, love and the fulfillment of His will. Be open to the fact that the Lord may sometimes let things get worse in order for His glory, will and purpose to be fulfilled for His greater good and plan. (Jer. 29:11)
6. The Holy Spirit exhorts us through Godly Christians whenever we are losing our sense of God’s priorities. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the DAY approaching." (Heb. 10:24,250 Ask the Lord to use any Godly believer to exhort you for greater love and good works - whenever you really need it. "Remember those who led you who spoke the word of God to you and consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith." (Heb. 13:7) God gives us godly examples to pattern our lives, attitudes and spiritual motivations after.
7. The Holy Spirit brings us back into fellowship with God whenever we fall into the sins of commission, omission, bad attitudes or faulty presuppositions. Paul wrote, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Cor. 13:14) Ask the Lord to help you be drawn back into perfect fellowship with God whenever you consciously or unconsciously fall into temptation or succumb to the pressures of the world, the flesh or the devil. Remember how damaging it is to be outside of the fellowship with the Spirit. "If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me." (Psa. 66:18)
8. The Holy Spirit inspires us with a powerful word from the scriptures whenever we are leaning too far in a wrong direction in our thinking or actions. Paul wrote, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16) Ask the Lord to use the word of God to set you on the right course, show you when you get out of line, direct you how to get back on track and bring you to a higher level of competence in your relationships, personal lifestyle and ministries. Let the scriptures provide the healing, restoration and remediation that you need to bring you back to wholeness. Sing the song, "Lord Jesus I long to be perfectly whole... break down every idol and all that makes woe. Just wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." Thank God for the promise, "He who began a good work in you is able to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)
9. The Holy Spirit shepherds us whenever we are feeling too weak, discouraged or frustrated to desire to keep walking on the straight and narrow path. David wrote, "The Lord is MY shepherd, I shall not be in want of any good thing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." (Psa. 23:1,2) Ask the Lord to alleviate any of your fears, discouragements or frustrations with His shepherdly love, power and skills. Praise God that He wants to help you appropriate the fact that He is your supplier, anointer, and protector. As your Shepherd, the Lord will lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. He will engineer a way when there seems to be no way. He will work in ways that you cannot see but will do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that you ask or think according to the power that works mightily within you. (Eph. 3:20)
10. The Holy Spirit knows how to calm our anger when we are feeling like lashing out at someone or something. Paul wrote, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Eph. 5:31,32) Ask the Lord to help you replace feelings of anger with Christ’s kindness, forgiving attitude, and compassion. Praise God that He can defuse your anger and allow you to remain calm, cool and collected amidst the stresses of life. He who keeps His calm is more powerful than He who conquers a city. (Proverbs 20)
11. The Holy Spirit knows how to enlarge our tolerance, broad-mindedness and open-mindedness toward people with different perspectives than our own. Paul wrote, "The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted them both. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." (Rom. 14:3,4) Ask the Lord for greater tolerance as you put all things into the sovereign control of God to judge what is best in everything. Let the Lord’s Spirit teach you discernment so you can have real knowledge and depth of insight so you can discern what is best having been filled with the fruits of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory of God. (Phil. 1:9-11) Today many people fail to realize that the modern definition has been made so politically correct that most are deceived by the media’s view of tolerance which deems good evil and evil good. We need godly discernment that comes through the practice of godliness. "But solid food is for the mature who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." (Heb. 5:14) Seek the godly counsel of mature believers who can help hold you accountable for the exercise of self-control in your internet use. Do not try to practice self-control without the accountability of other members of the body of Christ. "Let us exhort one another daily and all the more not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together." (Heb. 10:24,25)
Find your strength in the joy of the Lord:
Ps. 43:4 "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my Exceeding Joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God."
Neh. 8:10 "The joy of the LORD is your strength."
Ps. 36:8 "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy House; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures."
Neh. 12:43 "Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off."
Job 33:26 "He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto Him: and he shall see His face with joy: for He will render unto man His righteousness."
Ps. 21:1 "The king shall joy in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!"
Ps. 27:6 "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in His Tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD."
Ps. 30:5 "For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Ps. 32:11 "Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." [Command to be joyful]
Ps. 51:12 "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit."
Is. 35:10 "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and Everlasting Joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
Ps. 35:27 "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour My righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."
Ps. 42:4 "I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday."
Ps. 105:43 "And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness."
Ps. 126:5 "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."
Job 41:22 "In His neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before Him."
Ps. 5:11 "But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee."
Ps. 16:11 "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
100 Ways To Reduce Stress
Getup 15 minutes earlier
Prepare for the morning the night before
Avoid tight-fitting clothes.
Don’t rely on your memory
Practice preventative maintenance
Make duplicate keys and store them where you can get to them
Say no more often
Set priorities in your life
Avoid negative people
Use your time wisely
Simplify everything you can
Make copies of important papers and store them where you’ll be able to find them
repair anything that doesn’t work properly
Ask for help
Chunk down big jobs into little ones
View problems as challenges
Look at challenges as opportunities
Unclutter your life.
Smile
Be prepared for rain
Laugh at something
Pet a dog or cat
Don’t try to know all the answers
Look for the silver lining
Say something nice to someone
Teach a kid to fly a kite
Walk in the rain
Schedule some time each day to play.
Take a long shower or a bubble bath
Be Conscious of the decisions you make
Believe in yourself
Stop beating yourself up
Stop saying negative things to yourself.
Visualize yourself winning
Develop your sense of humor
Stop thinking that tomorrow will be a better day
Set goals for yourself.
Say hello to a stranger
Ask a friend for a hug
Give a friend a hug.
Look at the stars
Breathe slowly
Learn to whistle
Read a poem
Listen to some music you’ve never heard before
Watch a ballet
Read something
Do something new.
Stop a bad habit.
Buy yourself a flower
Smell the flower
Find support from others
Give support to others
Do it today.
Work at being cheerful and optimistic
Put safety first.
Do everything you do in moderation.
Pay attention to your appearance
Strive for excellence, not perfection
Stretch your limits a little each day
Look at a painting or a sculpture
Hum a song.
Eat nutritiously
Plant a tree
Feed a bird
Practice grace under pressure
Stand up and stretch
Have a "plan B"
Draw a picture
Buy some crayons and color
Learn a joke.
Be responsible for your feelings
Meet your own needs.
Know you limitations and let others know them, too.
Throw a paper airplane
Exercise
Learn the words to a song
Get to work early
clean out one closet or one drawer
Go on a picnic
Take a different route to work
Put an air freshener in your car
Watch a movie
Eat some popcorn while you are watch a movie.
Write a note to someone you haven’t heard from in a while
Take a walk.
Go to a ball game and scream
Eat a meal by candle light.
Recognize the importance of unconditional love.
Remember that stress is an attitude.
Keep a journal
Practice a smile
Remember that there are always options
Develop a support system
Quit trying to "fix" people.
Get enough sleep
Talk less
Listen more
Praise others
Stop counting things.
Stress busters from e-word.com
