It was the beginning of the school year, and our International Friendships (IFI) leader, Rich, invited new students to introduce themselves to our Friday night Bible study group. This is always a fun time and a fascinating gathering of the nations. When came her turn, one young woman stood up and said, “My name is Patience, and I am from Ghana.” Rich lightheartedly replied, “I’ve met people named Joy, Faith, and now Patience, but I’ve never met anyone named Self-control.” We all had a good chuckle, yet his comment made a point, though perhaps unintentionally so: self-control seems to get the short shrift among Spiritual fruit. We celebrate love, joy, peace, goodness, and faithfulness, for instance, but self-control? Hardly a mention.
But self-control is important. For we are at ground zero in a battle between our sin nature, or our “flesh,” and the Spirit who lives in us through faith in Christ, and our choices matter. “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”1 So Paul calls us to exercise self-control: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.”2 Again, we have a choice between good and evil, the sound selection of which requires self-control.
But how do we live in self-control while, if we’ve proven anything over the years, it is that our self-will regrettably leads us to self-centered choices? Answer: let the Spirit lead us.3 Jesus promised His followers, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak.”4 And as we offer ourselves to God as people who have been raised to life, and every part of ourselves to Him as instruments of righteousness, we will be walking in self-control. For the Spirit who leads us in truth empowers us to follow in obedience. Go in His guidance.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. — Galatians 5:25
Father, thank You for sending Your Spirit of truth. Open our hearts that we would know His presence, trust His words, and follow His lead in self-control. In Christ we pray. Amen.
1 Galatians 5:17 ESV
2 Romans 6:13 NIV, emphasis added)
3 Galatians 5:18
4 John 16:13 ESV
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Paul Nordman—Author 