I finished my latest read through of the Bible last week. In related news, I started my next read through of the Bible last week. It’s mindboggling to me how much you can get from each trip through. There are always new revelations popping out at me no matter how many times I’ve read it.
So, I was reading about Cain and Abel when God stopped me cold with a verse. Right before Cain chooses to kill his brother, we read a statement from the Lord regarding the offerings they had made to Him. In Genesis 4:7 the Lord says, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Some translations say, “subdue it” while others say, “master it.”
This instantly made me think of self-control – the ability to manage one’s emotions and behaviors. Well that’s not really an exciting topic as we enter the holiday season is it? The more I pondered and prayed about this, the more I decided that this is the perfect time for this topic. This is a classic time for overeating (guilty), overspending (yep, guilty) and overcommitting (also guilty). Okay so maybe this one is just for me but then again maybe not.
It’s been on my mind lately that in addition to the overindulging that many of us do during the holidays, this strange time that we’re living in has also produced ample opportunities for over speaking, oversharing and, dare I say, overthinking to the point that we get a little judgy or panicky.
We’ve given ourselves permission for a whole lot of lapses in self-control because there’s a pandemic and we’ve already sacrificed enough. (If we’re keeping score, I’m still guilty.) I’m not saying we shouldn’t give ourselves a little bit of grace in a time unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. However, I am very much saying that we need to be careful of not doing well and letting sin in the door because we’re tired and can no longer be bothered to care. This topic isn’t going to win me a popularity contest, but please be bothered to care.
I want to drop in two disclaimers before I go any further. First, I’m talking about self-control not legitimate mental health issues. Second, self-control is a Biblical virtue, and we’re each convicted in different ways. Temptations and our personal struggles are somewhat unique to each of us.
Self-control is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Read a few versus before that in Galatians and we’re told that the spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another. It’s one or the other. Works of the flesh will lead us square into trouble. In fact, Proverbs 25:28 puts its clearly, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls.”
We have no defenses when we give in and let go of our self-control. This is tremendously important. It is a theme from the fourth chapter of Genesis all the way through late into the New Testament. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 we read, “But also for this reason giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
Once we recognize the importance of self-control, we must actively choose to exercise it. This was the Lord’s point to Cain. We must make the choice. That is the hard part isn’t it?
It’s hard because I want the dessert and there’s nothing wrong with one piece of cake. I want to make the comment on social media because I need to get it off my chest. I want to buy just one more present because it’s Christmas and they’re only little once. I’m only going to tell that one friend because I can’t believe it and must tell someone.
It’s not wrong, unless it fuels the flesh and opens the door to hurting your health, stirring up dissension, causing financial hardship or hurting a friend with something that might not even be true. It’s starting something you might not want or be able to finish.
Friends, this year has been hard enough without piling on regret or paying a price we don’t have to pay. I know it’s hard, and it’s not exactly fun on the front end, but it’s so very important for us to work on improving our self-control and choosing to rule over the sin that lies in wait. Satan will try to take us down any way he can. Let’s commit to prayerfully asking the Lord to point out the places where we need to choose self-control. Then let’s work to do it before we make an already difficult time worse.
Father I ask that you help each of us struggling to exercise self-control this holiday season. You promised to always send us a way out of temptation. Give us each the wisdom to know it and the strength to take it. This Christmas season help us to not tire of caring.
