The Fruit of the Spirit Day 9: Self-Control
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28)
As we end our series, The Fruit of the Spirit, we come to self-control. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, it is important for us to practice self-control. When I was young, self-control was definitely not a strength of mine. I had a short temper and was quick to let those around me know that I was not happy. I remember one time when I was very upset with my brother. I lost my temper, and I began calling him names. When I was in mid-sentence, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that was not the right decision. That was the last time I remember losing control of myself.
Our verse today in Proverbs describes a person who does not have self-control. They are “like a city broken into and left without walls.” What kind of a picture does that paint in your mind? In ancient times, walls around cities would protect the cities from all sorts of dangers, ranging from wild animals to invading armies. A city without walls had no protection of any kind and could easily be raided. The residents had no security. When a person lacks self-control, their life can be destroyed in an instant, much like a city without walls. We, as Christians, need to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19b).
While this may be the more common definition of self-control, I do think that self-control can be conveyed in two ways: 1) remaining silent in a situation when you want to speak up, and 2) speaking up in a situation when you want to remain silent. For example, Jesus showed self-control when He was being ridiculed and lied about (Mark 14:53 – 65). I believe Jesus also showed self-control when He overturned tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12 – 13). Here, Jesus could have kept quiet and allowed the activities to continue, but He instead showed self-control and followed the Holy Spirit’s leading.
We, as Christians, also need to be bold in our faith. Ephesians 6:19 – 20 says, “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.” Here, we see that the apostle Paul was asking for prayer in order to have the right words. He was in prison and asking for self-control to be bold without being negative. This can be a very difficult task.
I pray that this series on the fruit of the Spirit has been beneficial for you. These fruits all work together, and having one without the others is not nearly as beneficial as having all of them. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, we will continue to produce all of the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22 – 23).
Pastor David Guenin