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How to Become Strong Without Having to Lift Weights

So far in our study of the Fruit of the Spirit, we’ve looked at love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, and meekness. But there’s one more Fruit of the Spirit to make our own, and that’s self-control.

If you were to turn in your Bible to Galatians 5 and read the list of the Fruit of the Spirit, it’s possible you won’t see the word self-control. You may instead see the word temperance. That’s because the words mean the same thing. Some versions use self control while others use the word temperance.

You may wonder, though, why self-control is mentioned last in the list. Don’t be tempted to think it’s less important than the others. The apostle Paul mentions self-control last because it’s the most important of all. I say that because self-control is the foundation of all the other Fruit of the Spirit. It’s what makes the other fruit possible. Using computer language, the Holy Spirit uses self-control to boot up the other Fruits of the Spirit. Without self-control, the Christian’s life will sooner or later crash.

Self-control has been defined as the total abstinence of everything harmful and the judicious use of everything beneficial. Does that sound too scholarly and complicated? Then how about this definition. In the words of an old popular song, “You’ve got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.” But more than that; self-control guards against our having too much of even a good thing.

A friend once told me that for years one of his hobbies was collecting orchid plants. He admitted that over time he became addicted to them. Some days he would wake up and decide that he just had to have a new orchid that day. The orchid barn where he bought his plants was fifty miles from his office, but no matter. And so, a hundred miles and at least $50 dollars later, he had his new orchid plant. “Lonnie,” he confessed, “my hobby got completely out of control. What was supposed to be a wholesome pastime became for me an obsession.”

Self-control puts the brakes on obsession. It says, Enough is enough.

A person who values and cultivates the fruit of self-control becomes strong without having to lift weights. We’re talking about the kind of strength that really counts—strength of character. This is the point that Solomon made in Proverbs 16:32 (NKJV) when he wrote, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit is greater than he that takes a city.”

This proverb was written at a time when it was considered to be a maximum achievement to conquer and plunder a city. After a city had been stormed by an invading army, leaving blood, smoke, death, and devastation in its wake, the conqueror lead a triumphal parade, mounted on a prancing, colorfully decorated horse or in a gilded chariot. There were the hurrahs of the victors and the silence of the defeated. A conquest like this was looked upon as the most glorious and important achievement of a man.

The poet John Milton wrote, “He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires and fears, is more than a king.” The Roman philosopher Plato wrote, “For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all virtues.”

Self-control is the quality that sets us free to enjoy the plan that God has for our lives.
Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to stop preaching for a moment and start meddling.
When we read in James 1:19, (NKJV)“Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath,” that, my friend, is self-control.

When Jesus said in Matthew 5:39, “But whosoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (NKJV), that is also self-control. A fellow once boasted that, if someone should hit him on the right cheek, he would turn the other cheek, all right. “And then,” he said, “I’d knock the guy’s head off.” That’s definitely not self-control.

Here’s a formula to remember: Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond. Our knee-jerk reaction tends to make us want to concentrate on what people do to us when actually we should give our first attention to how we will respond. No matter what someone does to us, our reactions should always be steered by the currents of self-control.

King Solomon wrote, “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you and put a knife to your throat, if you are man given to appetite” (Proverbs 23:1, 2 NKJV). If Solomon were writing that today, he’d probably say, “When someone is kind enough to invite you out to eat, don’t take advantage of it and make a pig of yourself.” That’s self-control.

I told you I was going to quit preaching and start meddling!
Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV) says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation.” We could spend the rest of the program today talking about the pain, suffering, and grief that come as a result of alcohol abuse. Most families have, in one way or another, been affected by alcohol. We would do well to remind ourselves of the text in Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, Intoxicating drink arouses brawling; and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (NKJV). That is self-control.

You may be thinking, “OK, preacher, I have an idea of what self-control is. Now, how do I make it work in my life?” The answer is found in the same chapter, Galatians 5 that lists all the Fruit of the Spirit. Paul writes in verse 25, “If the Spirit is the source of our life, let the Spirit direct our course”(NEB).

You see, self-control, like all the other character qualities, is a result of having the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Maybe before this study you thought self-control sounded so negative, like the dark side of grace. But self-control is an integral part of grace itself. Think about it this way. If we don't control ourselves--if we don't keep in check our feelings, our appetites, our drives--then they control us. It's that simple. It's either self-control under the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, or something or someone else controls us.

Let's face it, that's the problem with a huge part of our lives. We fritter away our time by staring at the TV or aimlessly surfing the web. We let our marriages fall flat by failing to work at communication or neglecting to do the little acts of tenderness and devotion that add pungent spice to our love. We eat too much, or drink too much, and buy too much. We say whatever we feel like saying at the moment rather than bring our thoughts and words under the discipline of thoughtful kindness and peaceable gentleness. We call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, but fail to build a relationship with Him in prayer, wandering through life as though Christ's claim of Lordship were a mere ornament.

Without the gift and practice of self-control, we’re at the mercy of our sinful hearts, our potent drives, and our fickle feelings. Without self-control, we lose our self.

Although the fruit of self-control brings wonderful blessings here and now, the best and most rewarding reason for bringing this fruit into the life is the future reward that God has promised.

Centuries ago along a beautiful avenue in the Grecian city of Corinth, there were marble tablets on which were carved the names of the winners of the athletic contests. It was comparable to our Sports Halls of Fame. For a person to have his name there was an outstanding distinction. So it was the fervent ambition of every athlete in Greece to have his name inscribed on one of those tablets. In addition, a circle of laurel leaves was placed on the head of each victorious champion.

Athletes in those days didn’t receive the financial rewards that sports stars receive today. But the glory was just as great then as it is now. Maybe more, for the honor was his only pay. To win that fame, the athlete subjected himself for months to the most strenuous discipline, training and self-control. At the end of his training and preparation, he entered the contest and set out to win. It was that self-control and training that Paul used as an example to teach a spiritual lesson. He wrote: “All those who compete in the games use self-control so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed” (I Corinthians 9:25 NCV).

Like it or not, friend, we’re all runners in the race of life. In ancient Corinth, there was only one winner. But in our race, we can all win the prize. What will it take? It will take God’s grace and His Holy Spirit. But it will take one thing more. It will take self-control. We must bring our sinful self with all its unholy desires under the control of God’s Spirit. This is self-control.

Well, this brings us to the end of our study of The Fruit of the Spirit.
These wonderful qualities are what it means to be a Christian. How our lives will change and what a difference will be found in our homes as we share with each other the sweet Fruit of the Spirit. It’s my prayer that these qualities of a true Christian will daily increase in your life and mine.