Self Control in God's Strength

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7


Self-Control is the last Fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22 but it does not mean that it is the least important of all. Self Control happens to be what holds all of the other Fruit together.
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls”
~ Proverbs 25:28

Self-control usually involves putting others before ourselves, behaving in an appropriate manner, speaking when we need to speak, controlling our tempers and not having an outburst every time things do not go our way. It means ignoring minor mistakes and not trying to prove that we are always right.



It can be very frustrating to want to overcome temptations, and then fail over and over again. This can be especially hard if you are a Christian and feel discouraged in your desire to grow in the Lord and overcome sin. Without Self control, how can we fight off temptations that come our way?
“For whatever a person is controlled by, to that he is enslaved” ~2 Pet. 2:19.

How can we have more Self Control?
It will not happen overnight, but there are some key things we can do to obtain the kind of control God wants us to have.

First, we must guard our thoughts and desires. Change cannot only be outward or it may only be short-lived. We see this through "yo-yo dieting," or those who repeatedly quit drinking, or smoking.

Jesus told His disciples that "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man" ~ Matthew 15:18-20

Therefore, we must guard our hearts and minds from meditating on sinful things. "Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." ~Phil. 4:8



This may require turning off the TV from time to time, it may require getting rid of some magazines in our home or even canceling the subscription. There may be some songs on the radio that we need to stop singing, or places that we can no longer frequent if we are going to have the self-control God wants us to have.

What are we putting "in our heart"? Are we "keeping" or "guarding" it as we should?
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" ~Matthew 12:34.