The Fruit Of...Self-Control

I'm gonna tell you a story, but I want you to know up front that I'm not proud of it. It reminds me a lot of a couple of Bible verses which I will quote later.

When I was in the fifth grade and my little brother was in first, we lived in some apartments...neither in a really good part of town nor a really bad part of town, but there was definitely an element of self-defense required if you didn't want to have your butt kicked early and often. Now, my brother didn't really know this yet and as we played outside one day I managed to lose track of him. As I searched I heard some yelling going on in the parking lot and as I rounded the corner I saw a boy my age attacking my little brother! I didn't think, I didn't pray, I simply reacted. Nothing most big brothers wouldn't do in my shoes, but as I pulled the boy off I wasn't content with leaving it at that and getting my brother out of harm's way. I proceeded to bloody the kids scalp. To this day I'm shocked, but very happy, that I didn't really hurt him bad. I had the best of intentions...I wanted to protect someone I love very much. But, I stopped short of exercising any self-control and, while I felt good about helping my brother, I felt horrible about the damage I had caused.

As Jesus was being betrayed and arrested, here is what happened:
Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. -- Matthew 26:50-52

The companion loved Jesus very much and just wanted to protect him. But he took it too far and might have taken it further had Jesus not stopped him. Even when our anger burns at maximum, we need self-control. That is the time to remember how we're commanded to love one another and to practice restraint.

But self-control isn't just limited to anger. You've heard the saying "Everything in moderation"?

Whatever the "gotcha" issues are for you, maybe this is the time to start working on a little moderation. Instead of the double cheeseburger, large fries, and large shake maybe you have a single burger, small fries, and a glass of water. Maybe instead of spending $100 a month on Starbuck's coffee you could cut that significantly by buying coffee at the store and making yourself and then give the rest of that money to someone who really needs it. Instead of spending extra time looking at members of the opposite sex to whom you aren't married you can bounce those eyes away and go call your spouse to tell them you love them.

Whatever it is for you, seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and watch as the areas of your life that were problems can become the biggest blessings as you utilize your new-found levels of Godly control over them.