Warning – Rough Words!

Galatians 5:19-21 (The Message) –

‘It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods…cut-throat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addiction… I could go on.’

No, please don’t Paul! Enough! We get the picture. You’re listing some of the likely consequences of a selfish, self-centred life. Unfortunately, I spot one or two aspects that could apply to me (not telling you which!) So, what to do?

This week we’re exploring the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control) in Galatians 5. I’m beginning with the last, self-control, because it encases all the others. So what is self-control exactly? For a start it’s what makes us different from robots! Contrary to much modern thought, we aren’t just the helpless controlled products of our genetic make-up, chemical reactions, and the giant computers of Facebook or Google. God lovingly gives his children the ability to choose for themselves. Free will! It’s his gift to us because without choice there can be no love. 

Self-control is …(drum roll).. control over the self. It is choosing to obey God’s laws, choosing to avoid things, places, people and situations that will tempt us to sin. It’s choosing to react well to things, places, people and situations

OK so whenever we’re tempted, we summon up our will-power and struggle to exercise self-control, do we? Um, not exactly, though some effort on our part is needed – but that leaves me feeling a bit defeated before the temptation even happens! We need to remember that self-control is the fruit, the result of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the only person who ever exercised perfect self-control, self-control that even took him to the cross. But he promised that “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” and that includes self-control. As we pray, as we worship, as we read and absorb the Word, as we serve others, the Holy Spirit will work with us to produce the beautiful fruit of self-control.

 Prayer – Come, Holy Spirit. Lord, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.