My focus for 2016, as I read and study my Bible, is on "Sufficiency." I'm thinking a lot about how Jesus Christ is sufficent for me, even when I'm weak, imperfect, and inadequate.
Recently, that study has guided me to giving thought to my self-control - Are my fears caused by my inability to remain in control of my choices and actions? How can I improve my self-control? What does the Bible actually teach on the subject of self-control? What IS self-control?
While reading several scriptures on the topic of self-control (I've included them at the bottom of the Dig-Journal post), God led me to focus on 2 Peter 1:5-8, Galatians 5:22 & 23, and especially Titus 2:11 &12 which says, "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."
I then did some reading and research and I learned some things. First, I learned that some versions of the Bible translate the Greek word that is translated as "self-control" in the New International Version as "sound mind." Then I learned something very interesting: According to The Preacher's Commentary, self-control, a.k.a, having a sound mind, equals common sense! Think about it! If, everytime we are faced with a choice we stop and ask ourselves, "Does it make good common sense to do this?" or "Which option makes the most [common] sense?" It becomes much easier to control our actions.
I've been testing this discovering for the past week or so and I've found that it works! For example, each time I'm tempted to do something or I've faced a choice I've been asking myself, "Does it make [common] sense to do this?" or "What is the common sense thing to do?"
I encourage you to give it a try. Rather than trying to "force" yourself to have self-control, look at everything through the lens of common sense. If there are good reasons to do something, especially if it is something you know God wants you to do, do it! On the other hand, if there are compelling reasons that you shouldn't do something, again, especially if you know God would disapprove, don't do it! Go ahead & give it a shot & feel free to print my Digi-Journal word art & hang it up somewhere to remind you to use your common sense (self-control).
Related Scriptures:
1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 - "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober [self-controlled]. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."
1 Peter 1:13 - "Therefore, preparing your minds for action,[a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 4:7 - "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers."
Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;against such things there is no law."
2 Peter 1:5-8 - "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affectionwith love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."