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Self-discipline or self-control is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit listed by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. What is self-discipline? When we practice control over our words and actions, redirecting or restraining ourselves from indulging in unhealthy feelings, impulses, or desires, then we're practicing self-control.
Think about this: How often have you longed for something you needed to wait for? Or desired something unhealthy? How do you deal with harmful or hurtful longings, desires, and urges? Do you allow them to control you or do YOU remain the one in control?
Self-control or self-discipline may have been listed last as Paul listed the Fruit of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians, but that certainly doesn't make it the least important. If you do a search, you'll find that the term is not often used in the Bible either, yet self-control is incredibly important in helping us to make the good, healthy choices that God would want us to make. Our sinful flesh has a really hard time resisting the persistent tug of our sinful desires. But! By practicing self-control, we can master and redirect those desires.
Paul tells us to keep ourselves clean both physically and spiritually because we love God and want to take care of what He has given us in our bodies and minds (2 Corinthians 7:1). In his letter to the Romans, Paul goes so far as to tell them to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God," and not to be conformed to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:1-2). You belong to God; take care of yourself.
We get it. Self-control is hard. It's one of the hardest things we'll ever have to work on. Self-control is really a mental game. Sometimes it feels like you have to sike yourself out in order to stop sinful impulses or desires. Paul talks about his own struggle with sin in Romans 7:15-20: "What I want to do I do not do...the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing...it is sin living in me that does it." Sound familiar?
We've all had to resist temptations at some point in our lives, and we've all given in at times too. We often want more, want to rebel, want to take risks—yet we cannot find true joy in these things. So we spend too much money, use unhealthy coping mechanisms, and stuff our closets with things we'll never use. Instant gratification seems to be a part of our culture these days.
For Christians, without self-discipline, our appetites for comforts and pleasures can easily become our idols, mastering our decisions, purchases, and use of our time. Lack of self-control ultimately leads us into sin, harmful choices, or otherwise gets in the way as we try to live like Jesus.
Paul also talks about self-discipline in his letter to the Corinthian church. The people living there would have been very familiar with the Greeks' Olympic Games and the Isthmian games, which took place right near the city of Corinth. They knew all about the rigors of athletic training, especially if one wanted to win the "prize" or the "crown."
These events made for a great metaphor for living a disciplined Christian life. Paul told them, "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we [run for an] imperishable [prize]. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).
What this translates to is the importance of keeping our bodies under the discipline and control of our minds—not the other way around. Self-control is needed to win the "race" that will help us live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. For Paul, the "race" was winning souls for Christ; a goal which he states four times in verses 19-22. Do you know which race you're running?
Remember that self-control is a gift from the Holy Spirit—not something we can muster up ourselves. It's like the Holy Spirit is giving us a tool we can use in our lives. That's what the Fruit of the Spirit is in Galatians 5:22-23. They are gifts—not anything we can make happen on our own. It is the Holy Spirit living in our souls that gives us the power and ability to even begin to practice self-control so that we will not be overpowered by the "cravings of sinful man."
As Paul said, "God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). We should not allow ourselves to be controlled not by our old sinful desires, but rather by the Holy Spirit instead (Romans 8:9). He helps us in our weakness (v.26), which gives us the strength to stand firm in the face of temptation.
Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we have the power to say NO to temptation, and we can count on God to provide a way out so we do not sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
When you experience temptations, it's up to YOU to look for the escape route God has provided and TAKE IT. Say "yes" to literally ANY OTHER ACTION that's a healthier choice than the one you know you ought to refuse. The longer you sit there, thinking about NOT doing something, the more tempting it will become.
The Holy Spirit is our main superpower over temptations. He shows us that self-control is not DENIAL. It's REDIRECTING our actions to something better, healthier, and more beneficial for us.
Self-control is a gift from the Holy Spirit—not something we can muster up ourselves. It's like the Holy Spirit is giving us a tool that we can use in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit gives Christians the power and ability to even begin to practice self-control so that we will not be overpowered by the "cravings of sinful man." Don't allow yourself to be controlled by your old sinful nature, but rather by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, 26).
Golden Iris likes to read, play phone games, and watch NCIS with her parents. Being a happy college graduate, she anticipates the day when she can pursue further education.
