Self control

What does it really mean to be in control? We often think of self-control as sheer willpower, the ability to white-knuckle our way through temptation or difficult circumstances. But there is a deeper and more transformative understanding waiting for us in Scripture. As we explore the final fruit of the Spirit, we discover that what the Bible calls self-control is less about gripping tighter and more about letting go. It is a surrender to God's control rather than an assertion of our own. This reframing changes everything about how we face the moments in life when we are tempted to act on impulse, seek revenge, or trust the voices around us instead of the voice of God. The fruit of the Spirit is not a self-help program. It is the natural outgrowth of a life yielded to the Holy Spirit, and temperance, or self-control, is the crown of that yield. We are invited to ask ourselves honestly whether we are living as if God is telling the truth, and whether we are willing to trust that His way forward is greater than anything we could secure for ourselves.