Delving into The Fruit of The Spirit - Starting With Self Control
How to cultivate the fruit of self-restraint in a world that's gone mad
There are nine fruit of the Holy Spirit.
They are:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience - forbearance
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
I don’t know about you, but I enjoy developing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in me. I know the Bible says they are given to us, but we also have an active role in nurturing them.
In my earlier days of walking with God, I remember having no awareness that the Holy Spirit was developing the fruit in me. I was too busy learning how to read the Bible, find good churches, follow my career, etc.
Basically, I was busy and distracted by trying to get my life in order.
I recall my sister (who is not yet saved) saying to me on my birthday, “You’re always talking about peace lately, so I bought you a peace cross.”
I didn’t know I was talking about peace all the time, but to an unsaved soul, it may have seemed a bit odd when someone you’ve known all your life suddenly gets obsessed with peace. It’s not like it was the hippy 70s or anything; it was the 2000s.
This then moved to joy, love, patience, gentleness, etc.
For some reason, the Holy Spirit seems to be teaching me more about the fruit of self-control at the moment. I think it’s because I see the lack of it everywhere, and have areas of it in my own life too.
Not all lack of self-control is a sin, but we can refine areas. For example, when I was travelling, it was easy to lose routine, so I had to discipline myself to create structure.
Then there is the online stuff. It’s so easy to lose focus when working online, so I am keen to reign this in too.
Everything I do online, I must take to God in prayer, as the enemy loves the WEB.
What a wonderful space for Satan to get us all caught up in his web of deception.
Over to you!
Is there any area of your life that’s out of control?
What about your….
finances
moral life
relationships
attitude
lifestyle
Before we go any further, I want to look at the book of Galatians and see what the apostle Paul said in the verses before he mentioned the fruit of the spirit.
He starts by saying that believers are called to be free, but not to use that freedom to indulge in the flesh, but rather, serve each other in brotherly love.
This chapter is about living and walking in the new covenant. We are no longer living by the law (the ten commandments) but by the Holy Spirit given to us when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
It is Jesus who gave us this new and living way:
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”
The apostle Paul clearly describes what walking in the flesh means.
It is a life absent of self-control. Satisfying our lusts.
Instead, he says we are to walk by the Spirit and not gratify the cravings 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.”
Finances
Managing money is a big concern in everyone’s life. It is easy to let money dominate our minds. Money has always been an area of concern. It is nothing new. However, the enemy is finding new and creative ways to tempt us.
Here are some ways..
Overspending - we don’t even have to leave our homes to shop nowadays, and the use of credit cards is sending people into debt, causing stress and worry in the lives of well-meaning people. Our culture promotes it, but don’t be fooled; it is not for your well-being.
Gambling - this is an addiction, and the highs and lows people get from this produce an adrenaline buzz making it easy for them to avoid the responsibilities that come with living a mature life.
Wealth and security - in society today this is sold as a moral good. This is another deception. Yes, God does bless the righteous, but the wicked can also accumulate wealth, so how can we know if we are being controlled by the lust of the flesh or not?
We can only know by examining our hearts before God.
Be vigilant. Walk in the Spirit.
Morality
People love to say this is old fashioned and outdated, but if you fall for this lie you are in big trouble. Every religion and culture knows the dangers of immorality. It destroys families, societies, and organizations.
How is your moral life?
Relationships
The best way to keep healthy relationships is to follow Jesus’s command.. love your neighbour as yourself.
Do you like it when people lie to you, don’t keep their word, steal from you, gossip, are jealous, covet, etc.?
I don’t either, so let us treat others how we would like to be treated.
Self-control is to deny ourselves. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
—Mark 8:34-35
Attitude
This is about our thoughts and actions.
Do you have a critical spirit?
Do you gossip?
Are you a safe person to confide in?
What about anger?
A lot of people think they are not angry because they are quiet people, but sometimes these people are the worst as they build up huge amounts of resentment and bitterness that comes out in passive-aggressive ways.
Lifestyle
How do you live your life?
Would people who see you regularly say you live a godly life?
What are your habits?
Do you perhaps drink a little too much? Do you go to bars?
What about your eating habits? Do you overindulge? Or perhaps you are the opposite, not taking care of your body. Neglecting our bodies is not considered wise as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
If you are living a spirit-filled life, you will be convicted to have self-control in the area of food and nutrition.
Do you exercise? We should not be lazy. Exercise is necessary for healthy living.
A moderate temperate lifestyle is a good sign that you are living a godly life, but we must always look at the motivations of the heart.
If we do things to compete, we are not in the right spirit. To want to be better than another person is the spirit of the evil one.
We should be happy to see others succeed in life. If we do not, then something is not right in our hearts.
Humility is needed in the Christian life. We can learn from Jesus. He is the most humble person who ever lived.
Are there any other areas of self-control that you can think of? Please leave a comment below if you have anything to add.
Thank you for reading.
Blessings!
Órla
When self control is lacking, all the other fruits are weakened and can get out of balance. Gentleness can become a doormat, love can become promiscuous, joy can become manic, and so on. When I taught at a small Christian school my students led chapel one week on the subject of self control. Thanks for this message Orla!