Christian Habits to Adopt 9-Self-Control

Self-Control Begins in the Mind

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26

I have been on a diet for the past month. I say diet but I am more trying to just make better choices and be mindful of what I am consuming. Most days I have no issues but there are some days when I want to eat anything and everything not nailed down. And there are days that I do overeat and eat things that aren’t good for me. One thing I have learned during this lifestyle change is that it begins in the mind. Our thoughts and attitude will determine our success or failure. I have been learning to change my way of thinking about food. I need to look at the nutritional richness of the food, not just what I crave. In a strange way, I guess I am building a better relationship with food. Looking at it as more fuel for your body and mind rather than for pleasure only.  Dieting takes self-control, overcoming the natural will. It begins with learning to control your thoughts and attitude.

                Self-control is the ninth and final fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians. The self-control I exercise in my diet is not the same, but it is a good example. The self-control of the spirit is controlling our passions and appetites from within by spiritual means. When we exercise self-control, we begin to want to do God’s Will rather than our own. It is a result of the Holy Spirit within us, a divine gift. When we accept Jesus and are saved, the Holy Spirit resides in us. The proof of the Holy Spirit indwelling is the fruits of the spirit manifested in our lives. These fruits become apparent in our actions, words, and our thoughts. My biggest struggle in the self-control vein is in my thoughts. Often, we think that our thoughts are our own and have no bearing on our Christian lives but that is not so. Everything we do begins in our hearts and thoughts. Self-control begins with learning to harness our thoughts and attitudes and bring them in submission. Our thoughts ultimately lead to our actions. Self-control involves constraint and the ability to say “no” to our desires and fleshly lusts. By exercising this fruit, we pave the way for all the other fruits to be accomplished.

                Make self-control a habit to adopt in your spiritual walk!

                Typist for Jesus