Sowing the Seeds of Self-Control

      Regrettably, we often follow the path of least resistance and that path is usually the uncontrollable knee-jerk reactionary path.

      When we blindly respond to what happens to us, we will rarely control ourselves to gentleness.  When we react to harmful circumstances, we will rarely control ourselves to joy and peace.

      We can overcome this “natural” path and bear God-glorifying self-control by taking our lives one moment at a time, sowing self-control’s seeds.

      By now, it goes without saying that the first seed we must sow to bear this fruit is Bible study.  While we are to control ourselves, we know we are to do so according to the equipping of God’s word (II Timothy 3:16-17).

      If we do not sow the seed of Bible study, we may become masters of controlling ourselves, but we will control ourselves to do the wrong things.  As Jeremiah 10:23 says, “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

      If we will bear self-control, we must sow the seeds of responsibility language.  Too often we justify a lack of self-control in our speech.  We say things such as, “I did not have time.”  “I could not help myself.”  “I have to do such-and-such.”  “I cannot do such-and-such.”  “He makes me so mad.”

      Everything we do is a choice based on our priorities.  We need to speak with the language of control.  We should say, “I chose to spend my time in other ways and did not get this done.”  “I surrendered to my gut reactions instead of thinking about what I was doing.”  “I want to do such-and-such.”  “I do not want to do such-and-such.”  “I let him get to me.”  This kind of speech will heighten our awareness of and help us grow in self-control.

      Sow the seed of taking the early escape.  I Corinthians 10:13 says God always provides a way of escape from temptation.  That escape hatch is not to be found at the last minute.  We need to keep our eyes open and be aware of where our conversations and situations are leading.

      In Genesis 39:12, Joseph did not try to keep on walking through the house with Potiphar’s wife.  He did not perform his duties until he somehow ended up in the bedroom and then lost control.  He fled, taking the way of escape as soon as the temptation started.  If we flirt with temptation, seeing how far we can go without falling, we will eventually fall.  We will say, “I just couldn’t help myself.  The temptation was too overwhelming.”  In fact, the temptation only became overwhelming because we stuck with it.

      Bearing self-control will help us bear all of the God-glorifying fruit.  We need to be busy sowing the seeds of self-control.  How many seeds can we sow this week?

Edwin L. Crozier