Janet Jackson's hit still makes me want to jam! I'm in controoool! And I really feel like that sometimes. When I have it all together, you can't tell me nothing! I keep a tidy home. I perform well at work. I read to or with my kids most nights. Although I am disciplined in many areas, I'll put myself out here on this one. Self-control is honestly very hard for me. My spirit is free, and I like to do as I please. Because of this, I have two serious areas of struggle.
First, I have a tendency to be very financially frivolous. I was sharing with a friend the other day that I almost operate as if my checking account is SUPPOSED to be at $0! Honestly! My granny used to say I'd run through money faster than Grant ran through Richmond, and she was right. I'd be lying if I said it's changed much in my adult life. Don't get me wrong. I pay all the bills on time and my children have college savings started. I tithe and give offering. But, I am not good with maintaining money on hand. If it's available, I'm gonna spend it.
The second area of struggle for me is diet. I love food. I like to prepare it, and I like to eat it! For the most part, I eat fairly healthy. However, I tend to go on these binges where all I want is things that aren't good for me. Once that binge starts, it's hard to break. I want to eat and drink things that do a disservice to my body because I love how it tastes! Even though I do a pretty good job at working out, I find it hard to keep steady with good food choices. When I should be practicing the discipline that preserves my health and my waistline, I choose instead to opt for the full order of chicken nachos and a mucho margarita! And then have the nerve to wonder why my pants are tighter and I'm busting out my body-shaper!!!
So, what is the deal with self-control? Why is it so hard to be disciplined? Well for starters, we focus on the word "self" and try to approach our issues in that way. We read "self" help books and try to do it on our own. We listen to life coaches who convince us that they are the experts on how to be our best. The truth of the matter is that there is a limit to our self and what it can actually control. If we truly want to see change in our lives, we have to give the real struggles up to the One who is really in the driver's seat. Even the seemingly small things that we struggle with need God's attention.
Proverbs 3:6 tells us that in ALL THINGS we should acknowledge God and He will direct us. If I give my money to Him, ALL of it, not just the tithe and offering portion, then maybe I'll see a shift in my spending habits. I will probably become more disciplined because it's no longer "my" money. I have now involved someone much higher. If I start to pray before I prepare a meal or order my from a menu instead of just saying a quick grace before I chow down, I might get the guidance I need to make better food choices for my family and myself.
Self-control is a limited thing because we, in our human inconsistencies, only have so much control. To elevate to a more disciplined way of life, we have to ask for God's help. There are 2 ways to do this. They really aren't even that hard, but they do require a renewal of our perspective. First, we need to walk with God daily. Galatians 5:16 tells us if we walk in the Spirit, we won't give in to the desires of our flesh. Walking with God gives us a supernatural control over those things that we would otherwise do. Secondly, we have to trust God to deliver us from times of temptation. Hebrews 2:18 tells us that because Jesus himself was tempted, He helps us when we too face temptation.
I'm sure we'd ALL agree that ALL of us could practice better self-control in some area of our lives. Some of us need to practice self-control with our words. We say what we want when we want and before we know it, it's too late to take any of it back. Some of us need to practice self-control with our bodies. We give of ourselves freely, yet wonder why we tend to feel empty on the inside. Some of us need to practice self-control with our time. We have to balance the yes and the no to what and whom we commit so that we can be our best selves, not a tired, uninterested, lethargic version. The list could go on and on. However, if we walk with God and trust Him to deliver us from temptation, we will have a better grip on things because we are operating under the One who is really in control. Be Blessed. XOXO
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