There’s An App For That: SELF-CONTROL

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three-year-old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child asked for cookies and her mother told her, “No.”
The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, “Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don’t be upset. It won’t be long.”
He passed the Mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl began to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn’t have any, she began to cry. The mother said, “There, there, Ellen; only two more aisles to go, and then we’ll be checking out.”
The man again happened to be behind the pair at the check-out, where the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there would be no gum purchased today. The mother patiently said, “Ellen, we’ll be through this check out stand in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap.”
The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. “I couldn’t help noticing how patient you were with little Ellen…”
The mother broke in, “My little girl’s name is Tammy… I’m Ellen.” :)

This week we are talking about Self-control. If we are honest with ourselves we would have to admit that if we could kick the person responsible for most of our troubles, we wouldn’t be able to sit for a week. How appropriate then that the list of qualities we’ve been studying in this series on the Fruit of the Spirit began with LOVE and ends with SELF-CONTROL.

Beth Moore may have said it best, "Love keeps us afloat—self-control keeps us anchored."

Self-control helps us love, to experience joy, to know peace, to respond with patience, to show kindness, to remain faithful and to be gentle. SELF-CONTROL, like all the other attributes described in the Fruit of the Spirit, isn’t a quality that we have to muster the strength to do alone.

Galatians 5:16 tells us, “...live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
• Self-control is the ability to make choices that enhance the work of God in and through us.
• Self-control is the choice to remain within the boundaries of victory!

#1 THERE IS SAFETY IN LIMITING ACCESS

Last week Jeff, Business Administrator at our church, had us install virus protection software for our computers. Why? Because if we navigate the Internet without protection it will lead to a crash. Taking the necessary precautions saves a lot of trouble. How protected is your life?

Self-control protects you. Proverbs 25:28 tells us, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”

In Biblical times the wall that surrounded a city assessed its security.
• Archeologists tell us that 3 CHARIOTS could ride side by side on the wall of Nineveh!
• The walls of Babylon were so wide 6 CHARIOTS could ride next to each other!

A city without walls was a sitting duck—-A life without walls is too!

Jack Paar once said, “My life seems to be one long obstacle course, with me as the chief obstacle.”

John Maxwell (In his book: Developing The Leader Within You) wrote, “The first victory that successful people ever achieve or win, is the victory over themselves."

1 Kings 3:1 tells us that, “Solomon…finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.” Notice that finishing a wall was a top 3 priority! Solomon knew that God DEMANDED walls in EVERY dwelling place He chose to grace. Even the tabernacle in the wilderness had a portable wall to provide security. A wall wasn't an option it was a necessity.

Where does God’s presence grace now? According 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ”...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Yes, we need a wall around this life of ours! Any out-of-control area in our lives, no matter how big or small, is an open invitation to the enemy. He has memorized every strength and weakness in us. He is always on the lookout for that one crumbling section of our protective wall—that one out of control area—where he can enter and play havoc with our life.

Satan's favorite weapons are our greatest temptations.

#2 THERE IS THE DANGER OF LIVING IN EXCESS

If temptation weren’t tempting none of us would do it. It takes no effort to live in ease. Giving in is a breeze. It’s easier to hit the snooze button than go to the gym at 5AM. BUT LET ME ALSO SAY: The temporary comfort of giving in does not begin to match the inevitable long-range guilt and self-defeat it produces.

God hasn’t called us to live in ease. God wants us to follow HARD after HIM. God wants us to be cautious in how we live our lives.

Ephesians 5:15–18 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 6:12 says that “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

I’m not sure what your vice is but I’m pretty sure my word choice of “LIVING IN EXCESS” covers it. When you begin to study “self-control” you soon see that a lot of our issues either deal with MONEY—(how we earn it or how we spend it) or our MOUTHS—(what we put in them and what comes out of them).

God understands our struggle. Haggai 1:5–6 (NIV) “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

#3 THE ANSWER TO LASTING SUCCESS

Wouldn't you love to have real victory over whatever it is that is troubling your life?
• To not just get out of debt—but stay out of debt!
• To not just get sober—but stay sober.
• To be kind not just act nice.
• To not just lose weight—but stay in shape!

We’d all love lasting victory! Most of us have tasted victory we just haven't gotten to savor it very long. Its here for a second then gone for months. We have it then we lose it. Or, in my case, we lose it then we gain it back.

WEIGHT is my biggest struggle and it always has been.

Obesity doesn’t run in my family.. we just don’t run in my family ☺

I am an expert at losing weight. I’ve lost 75# twice since I’ve been at my church here in Colorado Springs. I’ve lost 100# one other time in my life. I’ve lost 25-50# countless times. I YO-YO so much my last name ought to be Duncan!

However, I find myself again at the beginning point. My jeans are tight and my spirit is down. What can I do? Where do we turn to find lasting strength? Who holds victory in store for us?

My source of victory is your source of victory: Proverbs 2:7–8 (NIV) “He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.”

Personalize the promise of Jeremiah 29:11–14a “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”

We may currently be held captive by our vices but we need not remain enslaved. God will give us the strength to win. We can have lasting success. Philippians 4:13 tells us, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

I’ve about worn out Romans chapter 7 in my Bible. I go there often because it helps me to know that I am not alone in my struggles. When I read that an amazing Christian like the Apostle Paul struggled too, it helps somehow. I close this post and this series, on this final passage of Scripture. It is my hope and prayer that you and I will learn that when we fall, God lifts us up. I pray that we remember that failure doesn't have to be fatal. We really can win again!

Jesus really is the answer to lasting success.

Romans 7:18–25a (NIV) “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”