"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
So the Stanley Cup Playoffs are back, and I get another chance to practice self-control. I'll admit it - when it comes to sports, I can get really competitive. Not in a good way, like when you simply care about a sport. No, sometimes I can get really competitive in a bad way. I'll overreact, or lose my cool, get angry, and sometimes forget about controlling my words. And then suddenly an epiphany usually happens to strike me just in the nick of time -- it's just a game. Those words seem to echo in my head and I'll stop mid-angry word, or mid-rant, or mid-frustration. It's just a game.
When it comes to me being too competitive, I completely recognize that it's my sin. It's my lack of self-control. So what exactly is self-control?
Self-control is having control over your desires and senses, over your words, over your thoughts, and over your actions. Exercising self-control means restraining yourself from getting angry. It means refusing to say those nasty words, or maintaining your cool even after something really frustrating happens. It means keeping your emotions in check. A way to test if you have self-control is this:
- Do I have control over my emotions? Am I bursting into tears at the slightest chance or losing my temper at the drop of a pin? I'm not saying that getting angry or crying is sinful in all cases or that if you ever cry or get angry it means that you don't have self-control; I'm simply saying that we can't let our emotions run rampant. We have to control them, and not let them control us.
- Do I have control over my words? When a thought comes into my mind, do I blurt it out immediately? If an angry word, insensitive word, or unkind word appears in my head, do I let it roll off my tongue, or do I immediately repent of it and push it away?
- Do I have control over my desires and senses? If I want something, do I get it? If I crave chocolate, do I eat chocolate? If I want to watch television instead of reading my Bible, do I give into my desires and act upon them? Mom and I were talking about this last week. When we're gratifying our senses and giving into the desires of the flesh, we're committing sensuality. We're showing that we don't have self-control over our desires and senses.
- Do I have control over my thoughts? Most of the time, I can't prevent a sinful thought from popping into my mind, but do I dwell upon that thought? Or do I repent of it and move on? If an angry, hurtful, or impure thought appears in my head, do I nurture it and let it grow and continue thinking about it? Do I let my thoughts control me, or do I control what I think about?
- Do I have control over my actions? If I feel like acting upon a selfish want, do I do it? If I'm angry at someone, do I hit them? Do I let my actions rule over me, or do I exercise self-control?
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7