Self Control...

The Bible tells us there are many fruits of the Spirit...but self-control is one of the least glamorous. Perhaps because it's doesn't sound like we're accomplishing nearly as much when we say "I am practicing Self Control" than it does if we substitute the words...Joy, Kindness, Justice, Peace. Those are outreach...self control is internal. I'm working on me. Society might even say it's selfish.

But how can I truly be a child of God if I don't even attempt to control my own selfish urges? We face a constant barrage of consumerism...to acquire excess. It is no longer what I need but what I want that's most important. Why buy a 60" television if a 72" is available (even though it wouldn't fit in our living room, which means we'd have to rearrange the furniture or perhaps even buy new stuff...)It's a vicious cycle. Advertisements are continuously telling us what we need...without knowing anything about us.

In my own walk toward self control, I've finally figured out it is best not to act on impulse when it comes to consumption. Do I have to convince myself that I "need" this or that? Do I have to figure out a way to pay for it? Will this item really add any value to my life? Why do I feel I need this? Is it, in reality, just a way to fill a void in my life?

I've often thought about what it would have been like to live in an earlier time. When the food on my table was truly the result of the work of my hands, or my husband being able to find game in the woods. What if I had to make the soap to wash with, the candles to provide light...what if we had to chop the wood or we wouldn't have heat? These thoughts do make me appreciate the advances in science that give us a wondrous variety of food, year round. I can flip a switch for light, I can adjust the thermostat for heat...

It is so easy to over-consume in our culture because it's all at our fingertips...and we can pull out a piece of plastic to pay for it! It's just that easy! Problem is, all this "stuff" doesn't make me happy. It just adds more clutter. It doesn't fill the hole. Only relationship can do that...relationship with Christ, relationship with one another. This is what fills our soul and makes us complete. And the beautiful part, it costs no money...and the returns are priceless.