Message summary: What are the areas in your life in which you need to exercise self-control? Take some time to pray and reflect on those things that have become fetters and take steps to improve the situation or in some instances eradicate it completely from your life. Remember, passions forge fetters.

Listen to our message on your audio player.

Therefore an overseer must be... self-controlled" (1 Timothy 3:2). "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control" (Proverbs 25:28). "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet" (1 Thessalonians 5:8). "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ..." (Titus 2:11-14a).

Last Sunday I taught a lesson from 1 Timothy 3 which includes the qualifications for overseers and deacons. Many of these qualifications could easily warrant an entire lesson when using Biblical cross references and applications. However, in my lesson, the main point was that each of these qualifications provide a good standard of living for all believers.

However I have been especially musing for several days on the requirement that a leader demonstrate self-control. In several personal ministry encounters lately we have been talking with people who have a need for consistency in their life, including the need for greater self-control.

"Sober-minded people are those who are well-behaved in their actions and reactions. Theirs is a committed life. They do not live in a dream world of emotions and deal with others based on their impulse at the time. Getting back to the Scripture regarding the elder, if He is self-controlled He is Spirit-controlled". (Study note from Contending for the Faith Bible commentary)

For many years Brooksyne taught children to memorize Scripture verses by singing them. About 40 years ago she taught from an album about the Fruit of the Spirit called "The Music Machine". The song about self-control simplifies it, "Self control is just controlling myself". (link to song below)

Self-control is needed in many areas of life and most of us struggle in one way or another and to various degrees with some form of self-control. This is one issue we won't deal with in heaven for which I am thankful.

Today's Bible verses are powerful reminders of how important self-control is as we journey from day to day. It's one of our responsibilities as believers, since "we belong to the day".

We are all called to live self-controlled lives. "Self-control" or "temperance" (KJV) is the ninth Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:23 and is one of the most deficient virtues in this present generation. We can fall into a lax state of self-control and thus the call to self-control is repeated all through the New Testament.

Some 250 years ago British statesman Edmund Burke wrote,

You may very well need to read the above quote several times to more fully grasp the over-all message that Burke conveys. (It is a powerful statement in light of the condition of our country!) In the context of Burke's writing he is referring to undesirable or destructive passions and not just those relating to the food we consume. Clearly, one of the great virtues lacking in our day is that of self-control.

As Burke observed we can see the awful consequences for those whose "passions forge their fetters". When self-control is disregarded in the heat of  passion we don't experience  freedom but bondage. Actions are justified and consequences forgotten until they're unavoidable. In many, many instances the consequences are far-reaching and adversely affect many innocent lives who will deal with some aspect of those consequences as well.

Each of us can likely identify areas where we lack self-control. It may be in our eating, use of time, finances, spiritual disciplines, our temperament* or a host of other areas. Some struggle to overcome destructive habits while others may need to apply self-control in their attitudes toward anger, worry, jealousy, or any other ungodly way of thinking or acting.

In what area of your life do you need to exercise more  self-control? Take some time to pray and reflect on those things that have become like fetters and take steps to improve the situation or in some instances eradicate it altogether from your life. Remember, worldly passions forge fetters.

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, as children of the light, we no longer desire the attitudes or behavior we practiced while living in ignorance where darkness reigns. After dying to self You took up residency and equipped us with the necessary tools to battle our struggle against sin. Help us to throw off everything that hinders, entangles, or seeks to identify us with the enemy. Your discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in Your holiness. Self-control is a difficult exercise since it requires humility, self-denial, restraint and full surrender to You, but the reward follows as we enjoy a wonderful harvest of righteous living. Not only will it benefit us personally, but it will result in a testimony of thanksgiving to You, make us more like Christ and be an example to those we seek to influence. We ask for Your help in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Inspired by Hebrews 12:2,10 & 11)

In regard to practicing self-control there's no place for pride. I may be able to observe the lack of self-control in some one else's life but be blinded to issues in my own life. "But for the grace of God, there go I."

* A steady temperament is not being subject to emotional mood swings that can very detrimental in your relationships with others and primarily those whom you love the most: your family! Coming up we hope to have a message based on this.

"Self Control"  Watch on YouTube   Music Machine  Brooksyne's note: The fact that Stephen would recall this song is a testament to the power of music in teaching children. One comment on the video states, "I learned this song as a 3 year old boy. I still think about it to this day."