“But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control.”  Galatians 5:23

How many times have you said or done something and immediately wished you could take it back and have a redo?

How many times have you seen the look of hurt on someone’s face, and you knew you were the one who put it there?

Face it. You lost your cool.

Or maybe you fell off the diet or alcohol wagon and indulged in that molten chocolate dessert, and now you feel like a failure. Your self-control button was turned off. It happens to the best of us.

But you see, one of the keys to successful living is self-control. That means controlling our emotions, our desires, our passions, and yes, our tongues (what we say or post or comment). Self-control is about self-discipline. The Bible compares it to sports. It says, “Run your race to win. Everyone who competes in the game exercises self-control in all things.”

Let’s look at a few tips to help when our self-control is lacking:

• Identify: Be honest with yourself about where you lack self-control. If you can’t stop yourself from saying ugly things, walk away. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to say or do things you know will hurt others.
• Admit: If you have an addiction, admit it. That’s always the first step in recovery.
• Ask: Then ask God for self-discipline.
• Act: Finally, take action on that discipline, one day at a time.

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It’s one of the ways by which others will know that you are a child of God.

Take a minute to read the entire verse in Galatians 5:22-23.

On what other fruits of the Spirit do you need to Identify, Admit, Ask, and Act?

Written by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH