Fruit at Camp #9: Self-Control

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
-Galatians 5:22-23

It’s all Greek to me…

Upon reading this verse in full, I immediately thought, Hold up, isn’t self-control resisting temptation and sin, not a fruit? Turns out I was wrong. While the other fruits refer to virtues God wants us to live out, the final one is even better. We can live out the other eight Fruits with God’s guidance, but we need the Holy Spirit to utilize self-control. God’s Spirit helps us say no to what’s wrong, but also to say yes to what’s truly right.

When we bear the fruit of self-control (or Egkrateia in Greek), we reflect Christ. Generally, those who don’t follow Christ have no sense of self-control because no one holds them accountable. Because of God, we can overcome the desires and passions of the flesh. Egkrateia can also refer to temperance or abstinence.

There are some areas of life where I need self-control (I probably shouldn’t eat a seventeenth cookie…), but there are also areas where I need temperance (No, I shouldn’t give in to lust).

The term “self-control” is almost contradictory, because it’s really God who is controlling us. Without His Spirit, I would never have conquered sinful patterns in my life or chosen to give up the meaningless in place of the meaningful.

Because of Christ, I can claim victory over the devil. By living a self-controlled life of temperance, my chains fall loose, and I’m free to live out His purpose. Here’s how I’ve seen self-control play out in recent weeks…

Egkrateia at Camp.

I was going to take this in a different direction, but God put something on my heart last week. It stems from a long discussion I had with Him, which spawned during a game of camp Hide & Seek. The theme verse for my discussion was 2 Peter 1:5-7. It says…

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”

My pastor likes the A-Z analogy, where we all start somewhere along the metaphorical alphabet (some at A, some at D, some at I), while all working towards Z (knowing Christ). This verse covers a similar concept. It says that living for Christ and cultivating virtues is a multi-step process, and it starts with one thing: Faith. Once we have the root, we can begin to focus on the fruit.

But this was just the start of what God showed me. Later, as I sat in the common area of the Summer Team lodge, absolutely freezing because someone had set the A/C too low, I asked God three questions. They weren’t super special or overly spiritual questions; they were basic questions I’d asked the Lord repeatedly. Except this time was different.

All three questions tie into a different facet of self-control (will we control our bodies and our wills so we can follow His?). I’m willing to wager that some of you have asked them too.

I know this requires being vulnerable, but here we go…

1. Lord, where do you want me this next year?

I’ve thought about this question lots, and I mean lots. When I asked God the other night, I was hoping for a big, long response, but here’s what I felt Him saying…

“Samuel, I want you exactly where I’ve placed you.”

Here’s where self-control ties in: I’m always looking for new things to do and ways to further my knowledge. Part of that stems from a feeling that I’m not fully optimizing my gifts for God’s Kingdom. Yesterday He reminded me to exercise self-control by trusting in Him, rather than trying to make ends meet by myself. That was powerful.

2. Lord, how do I make this next year really count?

I’ve struggled with this for so long, especially in the works-faith/task-people balance. I’m wrapping up two months of non-stop, 12-hours-a-day-7-days-a-week work. I think God knows it’s time to redirect me as Fall approaches. Which is why I sensed Him asking this question…

“What would happen if you came into this year with the mentality that you would say YES whenever someone asked you to do something?”

I thought to myself, I’d probably build a lot of friendships and deepen my relationships. Now granted, what I don’t mean is people-pleasing or getting taken advantage of by people. God was telling me that (good as it is) I should drop my to-do list whenever possible. Even if I’d rather not do what the person is asking me to do.

This is gonna take self-control. I’d much rather be writing, or editing photos, or creating a video, but 2 Peter 1 tells me to act in “brotherly affection with love for everyone”. So even when I don’t want to do the task my dad asks me to do, even when I don’t feel like playing video games with my brother, even when I’d sooner leave an event early rather than stay and talk…even then I’ll submit to the Lord.

Truth is, if I’m willing to surrender my time to God, He says He’ll give back even more. I can still win with people and win with time, but only if I exercise self-control by not giving in to my wants.

3. Lord, how do I enter these deep, intimate times with you?

By this point in our conversation, I’d been talking with the Lord for almost an hour. It had started during Hide & Seek, with me sitting on the ceramic floor of a shower stall. It had since followed me back to the volunteer lodge. As I prepared to read Scripture, I asked God one final question.

His answer shook me…because He was completely right. How do I enter these times?

“By not having an agenda.”

I’m currently reading Hearing God by Dallas Willard. In Chapter 2, he delivers this powerful truth: “In seeking and receiving God’s word to us, therefore, we must at the same time seek and receive the grace of humility. We cannot pretend, presume, or push God.”

Often unintentionally, I enter my time before God with an agenda. I schedule what I’m going to do when during my devotions, and I have everything planned. Agendas are great in many places. Not in devotions.

Another book I read in August was Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Chapter 4 talks about “Creating a structure for spontaneity”. Gladwell points out that in any given circumstance, there are dozens of factors at play. What separates the professionals from the amateurs is that they know which factors to focus on and which to ignore. Driving is a great example of separating what matters from what doesn’t (no texting allowed).

Having a deep relationship with God stems from creating that structure for spontaneity (aka unplanned plans) and by not pushing God. Some of my deepest and most fruitful times with the Lord happen when I have no schedule, no agenda, and no plan. I saw it in action last week. When I come before God with nothing but a willingness to speak to Him and hear from Him, that’s when He truly speaks. It comes from having the self-control to put aside my agenda and listen to Him.

Egkrateia in real life.

I don’t think the questions I asked or the answers I received were solely for me, which is why I’m sharing them. I think they can apply to all of us. As I near the end of my Fruit at Camp series (the final post is next week), I want us to reflect on the three questions I asked God. If you’d like, I want you to ask Him the same questions. I hope you’re willing to bring them before God (maybe in your devotional time). Once you’ve done that, pray for the self-control to follow God’s calling and not your own.

1. Lord, where do you want me this next year?

Wherever God is calling you, I pray you’ll accept His will. It may not look like you’ve envisioned, but He has a plan.

2. Lord, how do I make this next year really count?

Is there something God is calling you to do (or stop doing) this Fall? Are there opportunities He’s placed before you to spread His message and love?

3. Lord, how do I enter these deep, intimate times with you?

When you come before God, do you come as His child, ready to receive His love and truth? Do you read the Bible as a textbook or as the journal of the living God?

Practicing self-control and self-discipline isn’t easy, especially in the areas I’ve shared. Surrendering my will before God isn’t easy, but I know that if I keep turning my hopes over to Him, He can use me to do great things.

Will you do the same?

As 2 Timothy 1:7 says…

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”