Bible Study: Chapter 4 Self-Control

Continuing with the Bible Study on the Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother, this chapter pushed many of my buttons. Chapter 4: The Safety of Self-Control
Have you ever lashed out in anger at your child only moments after repenting from your last outburst? Romans 7:18-19 “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing”.
Self-Control conjures up words like drudgery, discipline, discouragement, and even despair. But we as Christians need to reexamine this virtue from a biblical perspective. Self-Control doesn’t just happen. We can’t adopt the indifferent attitude “let go and let GOD” and expect magically to become self-controlled. Self-control requires effort. However, development of this quality is not solely dependent upon us. We cannot acquire this virtue by our own strength. It is only as we cooperate with the power of the Holy Spirit that we will achieve self-control. Colossians 1:29 “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me”.
God’s Word likens self-control to walls; or rather it informs us that not having self-control is like not having walls. Proverbs 25:28 “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls”. Self-control is our wall of defense against the enemies of our soul. We have the Worldly Theater, the Devil’s Theater, and most insidious of all – the Inner Theater. Scripture warns us that the world hates us (John 15:19) the enemy seeks to devour our souls (1 Peter 5:8) and our sinful desires wage war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11). These desires are deceitful (Eph. 4:22) they drag us away and entice us into sin (James 1:14).
The first step in constructing this wall of self-control is to acknowledge one simple yet hideous fact about ourselves: We like to sin! Hebrews 11:25 states, “ our enjoyment of sin doesn’t last very long”. Sin always leads to death (Romans 6:15-23). Sin delivers negative consequences not only in our own lives, but also in our relationships with others. We revel in the luxury of sleep, but we spend the rest of the day frantically trying to make up for the lost time. We exult in the brief moment of victory over our husbands, but we later regret the rift we’ve created in our marriage.
Undisciplined use of our bodies will hinder our service to GOD. For example, the amount of sleep we get-whether too much or too little can interfere with our daily communion with GOD and ability to care for our family and home. 1 Corinthians 6:12, “not to be enslaved by anything”.
We are to eat and drink to the glory of GOD (1 Corinthians 10:31). First and foremost, we are to receive our food with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:3-5). It is a gift from the one “who richly provides us with everything to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). Proverbs 23:20-21: “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags”. Proverbs 23:2 recommends drastic measures if we struggle with gluttony: “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite”. Food is not the source of help and comfort. He wants to teach you to comfort yourself not with food, but with His comfort. “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” Proverbs 31:30. We must not chase after the ideal our culture worships, but instead pursue what God esteems. Example: A girl that orders a salad at lunch because she wants a figure that will attract attention of others. She is pursuing self-glorification-not godliness.
Sleep is a gift from GOD. Scripture says he grants sleep to those he loves (Psalm 127:2) and He makes our sleep sweet (Proverbs 3:24). Sleep is a sweet restorer of physical strength. He is the creator and we are the created.
Maybe our temptation related to sleep is not to get too little but to get too much. Proverbs 20:13 “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty, open your eyes and you will have plenty of bread”. Martha Peace wrote: “I have heard of women pride themselves of being “night people”. These women are not “night people”. They are lazy and selfish. Who would not rather stay up late to do whatever they pleased and sleep late the next day”? As wonderful as our thoughts and feelings may be, they also have been marred by sin. Because of sin, the way we think and feel is often contrary to what Scripture commands. What we allow to govern our feelings and occupy our thinking will sooner or later determine our behavior. Sinful thoughts and sinful feelings lead to sinful behavior. 2 Corinthians 10:5: “Take every thought captive to obey Christ”. As we encounter life, our emotions are primarily determined by what is in our hearts. Sinful feelings reveal a sinful heart. The story of Hannah verifies this fact 1 Samuel chapter 1. We must choose to be wholly and completely dependent upon Him. As our LORD says: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).