I got the cake out of the fridge. It was covered with chocolate icing and stuffed with two wonderful layers of chocolate mousse filling. Truth is I don’t usually like cake with icing, because it tends to be too sweet. But this cake… I don’t know what happened to me! Seriously! One minute I’m having a conversation with my kids thinking I will only take a few bites … The next thing I know that whole piece of cake I was “tasting” VANISHED completely!! What happened to the cake?? The fork was still in my hand, all covered in chocolate… All the evidence pointed toward me. And I was guilty as charged!
Have you ever had a moment like that when you thought you will take a bite of that pie or only few chips, but you ended up wiping the plate clean or finishing the entire bag of chips? It happens more often than we like. Do you know what that goes back to? I’m not happy to say this, but it shows our lack of self-control. And I’m not only talking about self-control when it comes to food and dieting.
That moment when you think you’re going to watch one episode of your favorite show and end up Bing watching the whole season. That moment when you say something rude, because you couldn’t control your tongue in a moment of anger. That moment when your lips spill a big secret, because you couldn’t help it! That moment that you allow your physical desires to take over. That moment you say yes, when you should’ve said NO. That moment when you plan to read your Bible, but you can’t stop scrolling through your phone aimlessly. It all goes back to self-control.
Did you know that the Bible did in fact talk about self-control? Check this out:
“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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25
An apple tree will obviously make apples. A fig tree will for sure make figs not any other fruit. The apostle Paul was telling us that if we were true followers of Christ, we would have to have “The fruit of The Spirit”. And if you checked out the list of “fruits” he mentioned, the very last one on there is “Self-Control”. So, one way we prove that we belong to Christ is by NOT being led by our own desires, or the impulses of the moment; but by doing what is right, holy, and honorable.
In the beginning of that same chapter the writer starts off with “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Because every time I am led and overcome by a certain behavior or feeling , it means that I am a slave to that feeling or that desire. And we were not called to slavery! So why should we be governed and bossed around by a TV show, or a bad habit, or by a desire … You are free! Free to say No! Free to control your own behavior! Live in that freedom; whether in the little or the big things.
You may be thinking okay, now Michal you’re exaggerating. It’s just a piece of cake! It’s okay. And you’re right it is okay. However, if this becomes a pattern, if I am not able to say no or stop it then it’s NOT just about that piece of cake anymore. It’s about the stand that I have to take.
Now how do I practice self-control? It’s really MUCH easier said than done. (Because between you and me, I love cake!)
-First, it helps to point out the habits/choices that we have difficulty saying “NO” to.
-Second, ask for God’s help. Simply by praying Lord, give me your strength to stop sinning, or stop giving in to this or that.
-Third, just do it!!! When the time comes and you are faced with one of these decisions, remember that you are a child of God, you have the Spirit of God within you! You already have what it takes. God Almighty, lives in you!! Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” In another passage, it states this awesome truth saying, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you” (Romans 8:11).
How amazing is that?! So the next time you feel like giving in to temptation or to a moment of weakness, remember that you have the power of the living God inside of YOU! All you have to do is believe and start living like it.
Have you heard that story of the eagle who lived his entire life in a chicken coop? The eagle started to believe that he was in fact a chicken and had no clue that he could fly like other eagles. You and I are eagles, my friend!! We were saved by Christ so we could live in freedom from the bondage of sin, let this truth sink in for a minute. Believe it and live like the eagle you were meant to be!
For more on love, relationships & the single life check out Your Love is Better than Wine: Letters to Mr. Right.
You can also find it at “The GateWay Bookshop” & The “Bible Society” in Beirut, Lebanon.
michalmerhej 